The Toughest Choice
by AnnaDax
Summary: Naruto is the new Hokage, trying his best to save the life of the wayward Uchiha. Hinata escorts him to Suna, only to get stuck in another war, this time between two Kages determined to have her for their own. But who will win? GaaraHina / NaruHina
1. Chapter 1

After dreaming for this for his whole life, Naruto had finally become the Hokage.

And right now he was not sure if he had made mistake taking this position.

The war was over. Madara was dead, Sasuke had nearly killed him in their final battle, but now all was fine. In fact everything had turned out better than he had ever expected. It was true, when Naruto fought Sasuke, the medical nins were barely able to save them both afterwords. Thank god Sakura and Ino were worried enough for the Uchiha and Tsunade was keen on not losing Naruto.

And in the end, the last of the Legendary Sanin had decided to retire, being too exhausted and injured from the fighting in the Shinobi Battle. And of course, the first person everyone, even the other Kages and nations thought of, was Uzumaki Naruto.

He was in a dilemma. He had been dreaming for this for too long, but was not prepared for this now. The only reason he took the place of the new Hokage was simple.

This way Sasuke had a chance of not getting a death sentence.

And in fact, he had done all he could and even more, to save the bastard's life. In the end, the last Uchiha was spared, but the conditions of him being alive were still in negotiations. This was the reason Naruto was traveling again, for the 100th time this month. This time he was headed for Suna. And this time he was less pissed off, for the simple reason that at least he was about to negotiate with Gaara.

He had requested his escort to be as short as possible. Usually Tsunade, Kakashi and the other "concerned" people were worried and assigned half of the Konoha shinobi to accompany him, but he was sick of that. So now the only people following him were Shikamaru, who was a great help when it came to thinking, Kiba and Akamaru and Hinata.

As odd as this team was, they made a perfect escort when it came to protecting and fighting. The Nara was as clever as he could be, and his Shadow techniques had gotten so complicated, it was scaring the blond. Kiba and his trusty companion were as sharp as ever, leading the transportation. And the Hyuuga heir was flanking the back, her eyes probably seeing Suna already.

They had traveled for two days now and Naruto was hungry. But they were about to arrive soon.

...

"As fast as ever, Hokage-sama", greeted Temary and made a gesture for the new comers to follow.

"I am getting used to the road, I travel here too often..." The Jinchuuriki flashed his unique smile, but the exhaustion was taking its toll.

He followed the girl and soon he and his escort were in front of the Kazekage's office.

Naruto didn't care for the protocol. He grabbed the doorknob and rushed in, his smile now genuinely flashing. He found the red-haired man on his desk, as usual, his chin resting on his tangled fingers, his remarkable green eyes reading something.

The blond went straight to his working space, barely waiting for his friend to stand to give him a brotherly hug.

Gaara was the same in a way, but very different in another. The war had made him even more serious that he was, there was so much wisdom in his eyes, that Naruto felt unprepared for his position every time they met.

"Was your trip safe, Naruto?" Gaara asked, his voice quite emotionless, his eyes drifting to the rest of the people in the room. They stopped on Hinata for a bit longer but before she could notice, he moved them back to the blond in front of him.

"Everything was fine, we are just hungry." His stomach agreed with making a loud sound.

"You should all rest first. Your rooms and dinner are already arranged. We should speak of work tomorrow."

" You are always so thoughtful!" Naruto laughed loudly and pat the other Kage on the shoulder. A faint smile ran in the corner of Gaara's lips.

The Konoha hero already knew the drill. He traveled for three days, had fun with one of his dearest friends, had a serious business talk with him, then parted to get back to the Leaf Village. His Leaf Village...

...

He had his usual room prepared with a lot of instant ramen on the table and a wide bead to sleep in. What was strange though, was that Hinata was placed in the room next to his. Not that he minded. He was just not prepared for her blood-red face when he walked out of his room with barely any clothes on.

He laughed when the Hyuuga tripped on her own feet and started mumbling an apology, her eyes fixed on the floor. Hinata was very different from the girl he once knew. She was more determined now, she was stronger and had somehow had learned not to faint in his presence.

And she had saved his life. Twice. She still remembered the fight with Pain and her words back then. And he hated himself for the fact that he still hadn't addressed her on this topic.

"I am sorry, Hinata-chan," Naruto laughed again and hurried to grab his shirt. "I didn't expect to see anyone here, usually when I come, this whole floor is just for me."

This only deepened the girl's blush, but at least now she was looking him in the eyes.

"Gomennasai, Hokage-sama." The boy frowned when she addressed him in such a way but let her continue, still amazed that she was no longer stuttering. "Temari-san explained that since I am... my family's heir, I deserved a bigger room..."

She was obviously not satisfied with this, as it was already putting her in a too uncomfortable situation.

"Do not apologize." The Hokage frowned at her again, but then his face instantly went back to the glaring smile only he was capable of. "In fact I am happy that I won't be left to die of boredom here, as I usually do. And please stop using the "sama" on me. We grew up together, remember, I am still the same Naruto."

A delicate smile appeared on Hinata's lips but her large white eyes stayed somewhat sad.

Naruto realized that this was the first time they got to talk freely since the war. It struck him – she had been avoiding him for the past 4 years. How was this even possible? He clearly remembered her being around, helping with the restoration of Konoha. Had he been that busy not to have the time to talk to her?

No. She had definitely found a way to avoid any conversation they could have.

_"Baka!"_ Naruto thought and felt the urge to slap himself on the forehead. It was about time he sorted this with her.

"Hinata-chan, do you have a minute? I kinda want to speak with you, besides there is a lot of ramen in here."

A sudden shock ran through the girl's face. She looked at the floor again.

"I am sorry, Naruto-s...san – she started- but I wanted to speak with Kiba for an upcoming mission and..."

"Ah, come on! – the blond grabbed her wrist and headed to his room – I insist. And the Inuzuka will wait."

Before she could protest any further, she was dragged in the room, the door shutting behind her.

This place was more like an apartment. It had a beautiful view over Suna and was spacey enough for the young Hokage. Naruto decided it would be best if he didn't have a conversation with the fragile Hyuuga with only his boxers and a shirt on, so he hurried to put more clothes on.

He sat on a cushion next to the small table in the middle of the large room and pat the one next to him. The girl's gaze was fixed on the view, but she hurried to sit down, only choosing a cushion across the blond.

Naruto frowned, but decided to leave things like this. He looked at the raven-haired kunoichi. Her eyes were still set on the windy town outside the window. The room fell silent. After a moment, Hinata finally turned her face to the man in front of her, no scent of redness left on it.

"What did you want to talk about, Naruto-s-san?"

She was still struggling not to use the "sama", but the san was just as unnatural. He missed the "kun" she used to address him with.

He leaned on the table, his elbows supporting his weight. Blue eyes fixed on white ones.

"Do you still love me, Hitana?"

...

_This is my very first attempt for this story. I have the feeling it might get a bit more serious than I first intended it to be._

_I will greatly appreciate your reviews. Thank you for reading :3_


	2. Chapter 2

Naruno leaned on the table, his elbows supporting his weight. Blue eyes fixed on white ones.

"Do you still love me, Hitana?"

The girl looked outside again, then returned her eyes on the Jinchuuriki's.

"No."

His eyes widened. He was not expecting such an answer. Not at all... His lips parted, but he didn't know what to say.

The girl was not taking her eyes off him. She wore a calm expression, her palms lying on her lap.

"What?" Naruto finally was able to speak.

"I said I do not love you any more, Naruto-kun".

She then looked away, took a deep breath and exhaled. The "kun" was somewhat soothing but her words still made no sense.

"At one point - she continued- I understood that there is no point chasing the wind. I was wasting too much time dreaming and to little time actually realizing what is happening."

Naruto's eyes widened even more. He did not know this girl. She was too different from the quiet, nervous, fragile girl he once knew.

"Hinata..."

"If this is the reason you wanted to speak with me, I should go."

She stood up and headed to the door. Before she could open it, like a flash, the Hokage appeared in front of her, blocking her way.

White eyes barely looked at him. There was too much sadness in them. Naruto put his hands on her shoulders and fixed his gaze on her, lowering his face. She didn't move, but was obviously uncomfortable by the sudden closeness.

"I don't know what has happened... But I'm sorry."

She finally took her eyes off his and fixed them on the ground. He couldn't leave things like this. With his right hand, he raised her chin, forcing her to face him. Her eyes widened to the extent that he thought she would surely faint this time. Instead she just froze.

"I don't want us to be like that, Hinata-chan - his voice was suddenly unnaturally serious. - We used to be friends."

"We still are - her look was determined, but yet still uneasy. - But you are the Hokage now. You have no time to waste on someone like me..."

She managed to free herself from Naruto's grip only because those words struck him like a Chidori. The Hyuuga stepped out of the room, her long hair tracing behind her like a satin waterfall.

"Is this what this is about? Because I became the Hokage? - Naruto was now genuinely angry. - "This doesn't even make any sense!"

Before the boy could follow and catch up to the kunoichi, she had disappeared.

Damn, she was fast...

...

Hinata was running. She had to hide. But Where? This was her first time in Suna and she was completely unaware of the structure of this city. All she could see were houses, people everywhere and lots and lots of sand...

She had to be alone. She rushed out of the spherical building that was the Kazekage's place and scanned the scenery. She finally decided to head for the rocks in the outskirts of the village, hoping no one will be there.

And she was right. The cliffs were sharp and towering. She used her chakra to climb them vertically and soon she found a hole in the rocks. She decided this was the perfect place for her, so she rushed in.

Despite her expectations, this dark hole led to a canyon-like cave. It was a small space, but the sunlight was peering through the roof.

The girl went to the very end of the cave, sat on the floor and did what she did best.

She started hyperventilating.

She wrapped her arms around her knees, taking sharp breaths. She could feel the warm tears rolling down her cheeks. She was shaking and could do nothing to control her emotions.

Why did this have to happen? She was perfectly fine avoiding the young Hokage. Things were so much easier. And all of a sudden Naruto had requested her to be a part of his escort himself? She knew this could only end badly.

She was having real troubles breathing. She wasn't used to such a dry climate and all the sand and dust in the air only made her cough and suffocate even more.

She had told him she didn't love him anymore... Was this not true? Had she not spent years trying to convince herself she had no more feelings for the Uzumaki?

And even if she did, she reminded herself of something important:

He was the Hokage.

He could not waste his time on her. He had better things to do, better people to meet. After all, she was still the naive little girl that forced herself to look strong, but every time she looked him in the eye, she still wanted to disappear...

Her sharp breaths were only worsening. She tried to stand, to get out of the dusty cave, but her head spun and she barely saved it from crashing into the stony wall. Instead, she cut her palm on a pointed rock. The pain didn't help her situation much. She gasped, only to fill her lungs with the dusty air.

She started coughing. This wasn't good. She had to calm down. She dropped on the floor again, clutching her chest.

"I thought only I was aware of this place..."

A calm voice sounded out of nowhere. It only freaked her out even more. She raised her head to see the Kazekage...

...

Gaara was happy to see Naruto again, but was already too exhausted of his previous meetings this week. He needed a break. He finalized the documents on his desk and rose, setting the gourd tightly on his back.

He went to the roof of the building, wondering where to go.

His eye caught someone moving fast near the outskirts on the west side of the village. Raven hair followed the running Hyuuga heir as he watched her direct her chakra to the soles of her shoes to climb the rocks. In a moment, she hid from his view.

This was quite peculiar.

He decided to follow her. The sand in his gourd flew out, only to go beneath him. He rose and directed himself to his favorite hiding place.

In a few seconds, he was already in front of the cave. This was his childhood fortress. He used to hide here when everyone was afraid of him, when he wanted to be alone...

He could hear strange noises coming from inside. Was she training in there?

He stepped in, walking slowly. He didn't want to startle her. He was just interested in the Byakugan lineage and thought it would be interesting to see the techniques she could use.

Instead, Gaara walked in the small space to find the girl curled on the floor, her arms around her chest. Her hand was bleeding. Had someone hurt her?

"I thought only I was aware of this place..."

He ended up startling her. Her white eyes fixed on him, the Byakugan activating automatically. She couldn't do much though. Her eyes were teary, her cheeks were wet. Her lips were turning blue.

She was suffocating.

With a few steps, he reached her. He leaned down, wondering what had caused her to get in such a situation. She started coughing and her face disappeared from his sight.

She was trying her best to regain her composure, only to fail dramatically.

Gaara sighed. Whatever her medical condition was, the dusty air in here was not helping her much. She had to get out.

He looked at her once more, trying to figure out the chances she could walk on her own. They were practically zero.

He sighed again. With a swift move, he took hold of her, supporting her back with his left hand and holding her under the knees with the right one. She was surprisingly light.

As it appeared, this only caused the Hyuuga to worsen her breathing. Her white eyes widened, her lips parted.

And she fainted.

Her head dropped on his shoulder. Her breathing was getting even.

So maybe she wasn't sick... She was just scared, or had an asthmatic attack.

Either way, she seemed not to need to go to the hospital. There was a scratch on her palm, but it didn't seem too deep. Gaara carried her out of the cave, his sand supporting his way to the Kazekage tower again.

But which one was her room? He scanned the building for Temari's chakra, but couldn't find her. This was getting ridiculous.

He looked down at the passed out girl. She seemed to be sleeping, an uneasy expression on her face. Gaara felt the need to gaze at her more, which was frustrating him.

What was he supposed to do with her anyway? Could he just leave her on a chair for someone to find her? Or he could leave her in Naruto's room...

He shook his head. He didn't trust the student of Jiraiya and Kakashi, two well known pervs. She sighed for the third time today and headed to his private chamber. It was on the floor just below his office, so he was there in a few moments. He entered his apartment, heading for the bedroom. He laid the girl on the kind-sized bed and looked at here once more. She was breathing evenly. Her lips were no longer blue, her cheeks now had a natural blush.

She was beautiful.

Her black hair around her face only underlined her pale complexion. He couldn't stop himself and dug his fingers in the black river spread around her face. He didn't remember if he had ever touched anything so soft.

He wasn't making any sense. Before he could to something stupid, he hurried to leave her rest.

...

**Notes:**

_This turned out a bit longer than expected. Hope you liked it :)_

_And thank you all for your reviews! It means a lot for me to know what you think :) _

_Chapter 3 should be out soon._


	3. Chapter 3

Hinata opened her eyes. Dim light was filling her room. She had a headache. Maybe it was better if she stayed in bed a little longer...

As she closed her eyes, she realized something. She was not in Konoha. And this wasn't her bed. It even wasn't the one she had in her temporary room in Suna. This one was too big...

She slowly rose on the bed to gaze upon the room. The curtains of the huge windows were down and there was barely any light coming in. The king bed was placed in the center of the room, the front part of it - beside one wall, looking at the windows. On the left side she could see two doors and on the right side, another one. They were all identical.

She had no idea where she was. Her head had started spinning and her memories were a bit blurry. She remembered her conversation with Naruto and...

_"OH MY GOD I AM IN NARUTO'S BEDROOM!"_ she screamed in her head and jumped off the bed.

Her head spun even more, but she had no time, she had to get out. She looked at all the doors and chose the single one on the right. It turned out to lead her to an enormous bathroom, in the center of which was a hot tub with the size of a small pool. It didn't have much more in there, except a few towels and a sink in the far end.

She closed the door and hurried to the other side of the room. She opened another one to rush into what seemed to be a closet. It was huge. She wondered why Naruto had so many clothes in here but then it struck her.

She saw a similar robe to the one the Jinchuuriki wore as a Hokage. Only it had green on it. And said Kazekage on the back.

This was Gaara's room.

Before she could freak out even more, she remembered her fit in the cave earlier. She remembered she was choking on the dusty air. She also remembered the red-haired man coming towards her in the same cave. He had lifted her in his arms, his shirt rough to her face. She had fainted.

But why? Why didn't he leave her there? And if he was so keen of getting her away from there, why didn't he call a servant to do it? And why had he brought her to his own room?

She could feel her face burning and her breathing getting uneasy again. She left the huge wardrobe and headed for the other door. This led her to what seemed a living room. It had a big, round table and chairs around it. The curtains in this room were also drawn, keeping the sun out. There were a few pots with huge cacti in them. There was nothing much in here aside from the table. Even freaking out, she couldn't help but feel strange of how little furniture the rooms had.

She rushed to the next door to find herself in a kitchen. It had some cupboards, a sink, a cooker and a fridge. There was also a small coffee table on the other side of the room. The next door led her to what seemed to be a library. There was just one arm-chair, a lamp on the table next to it and huge bookshelves filled with all kind of reading matter.

She felt like she was running in circles. And it was normal, the Kazekage's building was with a spherical shape, so there were probably some stairs waiting for her somewhere near.

And yes, after the library, the door led her to a long corridor that was turning to the left. This was definitely the Kazekage's official building.

The last door was a tall, dark one, looking like it was metal. This explained the huge amount of strength she had to use to get it to open. When she jumped outside, she saw the stairs she had used to climb to Gaara's office when they had first arrived at Suna. It seemed that the round building had a huge staircase in the middle of it which led to all rooms and gave access to all floors.

She closed the iron doors gently, trying not to make too much sound. She tiptoed off this floor to get to the first one. She really needed to find Kiba.

"Hinata-san?"

Her blood froze. She turned around to see Shikamaru behind her, his look questioning, his eyebrow raised.

The girl exhaled with relief.

"Shikamaru-san!" she smiled and headed towards him.

"Is something wrong? - the man in front of her moved her eyes to her palm. - Your hand is bleeding."

The heiress gazed at her palm with the fainest memories of injuring it on a rock.

"It's just a scratch."

The Nara's eyebrows rose altogether but he didn't say anything much. She was happy that he was here. He never asked too many questions nor was he ever bothering her.

"I am looking for Kiba."

"I am not sure where he is, he went somewhere with Akamaru." The boy scratched his neck and looked away. "Are you OK?"

Hinata widened her eyes.

"I am just not used to Suna, that's all." She smiled, but this didn't convince the Konoha's best strategist.

"Come on, I'll help you look for the Inuzuka." He made a notion for the girl to follow him.

What other options did she have? Besides, this day couldn't get any worse.

If only she knew.

The Nara walked out of the front door of the round building and headed straight ahead. Many people were looking at them and she couldn't help but blush. She could see them whisper and hear them speak her name. But she was used to it. She was the Hyuuga Heir. For some unknown for her reason this made her strangely important... She was even given a special room... Right next to Naruto's...

She remembered the morning incident and blushed even more. She hurried to catch up with Shikamaru, only to bump into him. He had spun around and now was rushing in the opposite direction, the one they had just come from. Hinata looked ahead of her and saw the reason for the boy's behavior. Temari.

The Byakugan user had seen those two together once, on a mission. She remembered thinking to herself back then that they seemed to like each other.

Before she could gain on the man, she realized he was nowhere to be found. He had vanished in to thin air, leaving her alone in the middle of the city.

"Hinata-san, what are you doing here... alone?" The blond woman looked at the general direction where Shikamaru had disappeared and rolled her eyes.

"I umm... I was looking for Kiba." The girl answered.

"The boy with the ginormous dog? He is currently helping with something near the hospital. It is a good idea if you go there too, you seem to be bleeding."

Hinata looked at her palm again. She needed to bandage this, it attracted too much attention.

"I actually wanted to speak with you. Come on, I will escort you to your team mate. After all, you shouldn't be wandering the streets alone."

Temari headed to the road ahead and didn't even wait for her.

The raven-haired kunoichi followed. Did the woman know about what had happened earlier today? After all, the Kazekage was her brother...

"Hinata-san, what are your relations with the Hokage?"

Hinata froze.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I saw you two speaking earlier. Since then I've been having troubles finding him. And I need to schedule the official meeting between the two Kages."

Hinata didn't respond. Instead she took to the annoying habit she had since she was little and pressed her pointer fingers together.

Temari looked at her and rolled her eyes again.

"I see. So it's complicated... This is so troublesome."

The Hyuuga was astonished to hear the blond girl use Shikamaru's favorite line, but hurried to clear things out.

"We are only friends."

"Sure."

"We really are. Naruto is our Hokage and we all respect him..."

"I respect Gaara too – the woman interrupted and looked at the white eyes of the kunoichi. – But I also love him."

"Of course you do, he is your brother – Hinata was getting uncomfortable. – I love Naruto the same way, like a brother."

Temari stopped to look at the Heiress.

"But I do not look at Gaara the way you look at the Uzumaki."

The girl parted her lips. She didn't know what to say.

"Whatever. There's the hairy beast, his owner should be somewhere near – The Kazekage's sister pointed. - I have to head back."

The woman turned around, waved and soon was out of sight.

Hinata closed her eyes, took a deep breath and exhaled. This whole trip was getting out of control.

The girl headed to Akamaru, who jumped and started waving his tail when he saw her. After all, as a part of her team, she had gotten close to the hairy caning over the years.

"Akamaru, where is Kiba?"

The dog answered with a loud bark. A moment after that the said boy appeared in front of her.

"Oi, Hinata! – the boy smiled, his canines sticking out as always – I've been looking for you."

"I was looking for you too, good thing I found Akamaru"

She pet the dog on its head and it answered with a very wet lick on her injured palm. A stinging pain went through her nervous system and she pulled her arm away.

"Hey, are you alright?" The Inuzuka grabbed her arm and started inspecting it.

"Ah, do not worry, it is just a..."

"Hyuuga Hinata."

Someone called behind her. She turned around to see a hooded man with purple paint over his face. Kankuro, along with a few men on his sides, who looked like the Suna ANBU team, gazed upon her.

"Y-yes?" the girl asked a bit worried.

Akamaru jumped in front of her, growling lightly, but showing too much teeth to be friendly. Kiba followed and stood next to the huge dog.

"What's with the body-guards?" the boy asked, trying to hide his teammate behind him.

Kankuro made a step forward, totally ignoring the Inuzuka and his pet.

"Hinata-sama, the Kazekage has requested to meet you urgently."

Hinata widened her eyes. What now? She sighed. She couldn't say she didn't want to meet the head of the village... She put her hand on Kiba's shoulder.

"It's alright, Kiba-kun. I will find you later."

The boy just looked after her, watching as she calmly followed Gaara's brother. He had a bad feeling about this...

...

**Note:**

_I promise that next chapter will be more interesting. :D_

_I hope you liked it. Thanks to all who review, it makes me a very happy person. :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Hinata followed Kankuro and the ANBU guards that were escorting her, trying not to think of why the Kazekage wanted to meet her so urgently.

But she couldn't. Maybe he was about to scold her for wasting his time earlier today. Maybe he was about to order her to head back to Konoha as she was too unstable for this mission.

She felt her face burn from all the redness. People were stopping to look after her on the streets and she couldn't blame them. At the moment she looked like a felon being escorted to prison. And she felt like she was about to get executed anyway.

The masked guards stopped at the gates of the spherical building and let her and the hooded man walk inside alone. She followed him to the center of the hall on the first floor to get to the huge stairs. They started climbing them in complete silence. She quickly saw the widely opened door of Kiba's room, as usual in a complete mess. She noted to come here and speak to him later. The next floor was where her room was. Naruto's room too. She felt her blush deepen to the state that her head started spinning. Then she saw the huge metal door to Gaara's suite.

On the last floor was the office of Suna's head. Kankuro led her to the door, knocked on it and opened it immediately, looking at her. She looked away, gulped and walked in.

When she heard the door shut behind her, she realized she was left alone with the red-haired man. She felt her feet turn to jelly and the room started to spin dangerously.

"Please, take a seat" Gaara ordered, not taking his eyes off the documents on his desk.

Hinata thanked the gods and quickly obeyed. Right on the other side of the man was a red arm chair, quite matching his hair. She noticed he was concentrated deeply in the papers in front of him and decided not to disturb him.. Instead she took to staring at her fingers, playing in her lap with the end of her jacket's zipper.

After what felt like a decade, the Kazekage took a deep breath, exhaled and put the documentation in a drawer.

His fingers knotted in their usual position, giving his chin the opportunity to rest on them. Green eyes fixed on her, the tanuki-like rings around them only making the color appear brighter. The blood-red kanji symbol on his forehead, also matching his hair, was both somewhat interesting and scary.

The girl realized they are just sitting there, looking at each other and started panicking again. She greatly respected the man, he had done more than enough to save Naruto in the Forth Shinobi War, but she would never forget the psycho he was before. What could he want from her?

She blushed to the point that she couldn't blush any further and looked at her hands again.

"You seemed stressed, so I decided to give you a minute to calm down, but it seems that it didn't help much," the man stated.

Her eyes flew up to look at him again. The setting sun in the window behind Gaara was making his red hair resemble fire.

"I..." she couldn't think of anything.

"I – the Kazekage started – will leave you rest shortly. But I needed to speak to you first."

The girl forced her eyes to stay fixed on his, as hard as it was. She nodded since no sound wanted to come out of her mouth.

"Temari told me that you and Naruto had a fight. I am unable to find him ever since then. Do you happen to know his whereabouts?"

A fight? This sounded... wrong. She took a deep breath.

"Unfortunately I do not – she couldn't take his gaze any longer and looked outside of the window. – I spoke to Naruto-sama this morning and have not seen him since."

She felt awful. She was here to escort and protect him. Instead she had left him so she could hyperventilate in a cave!

"Naruto is a very... expressive person. I believe you are quite aware of this side of him... I am not sure of what he has said to you but I am certain he regrets his behavior."

What was this all about? The Kazekage saw her confused look and hurried to clarify.

"I probably do not know him as well as you do, Hyuuga-san – he continued – but I am sure he didn't want to hurt you."

_Oh, God..._

"Kazekage-sama – Hinata started – Naruto and I... He has no reason to apologize to me for anything. I mean... We are only friends."

She pressed her pointer fingers and look away. The man kept silent for a while.

"I see."

Slowly he rose from his chair to look at the village outside. He gestured the girl to do the same and she almost tripped in her own feet, trying to keep a safe distance between them in the little space behind his chair.

"Then would you be able to use your genkai to locate him?"

The Heiress only nodded and activated the Byakugan. Her look stuck on the Kage in front of her and then turned to the city. It didn't take her much time to find the blond man.

Naruto was eating ramen at a ramen shop. Why didn't she think of that earlier? It seemed that Shikamaru however, had obviously used his perfect mind because he was already with the Uzumaki.

She deactivated her gift and turned to the Suna leader.

"The Hokage-sama is eating ramen in what seems to be a ramen shop west from here."

A faint smile ran on Gaara's lips. He looked away.

"Will you please retrieve him?"

At first Hinata thought he was addressing her, but she heard steps on the other side of the door. Kankuro had been waiting there this whole time.

And now they were officially alone. She hurried to back away, thinking that she would be free to go now, but the man gestured her to return in the arm-chair.

When Gaara took his seat again he fixed his eyes on her, but they shortly drifted to one of the desk drawers. He opened it and roamed in it for a second. Then he stood up, went around the broad desk and leaned on the other side of it, just on the right side of the raven-haired girl.

She widened her eyes, not knowing what to do. The Kazekage wasn't looking at her, preoccupied with what he had in his hands.

It turned out to be a bandage. He gestured her to give him her injured palm, but when she didn't obey, simply out of sheer frustration, he leaned and took it on his own.

Then he adjusted his position, letting himself sit on top of the desk right in front of her. Gaara carefully placed her palm on his knee and rolled some of the bandage between his fingers.

The sun was almost gone from the horizon. The little light it left was barely enough to lid the room. Hinata was frozen, alone in the dark with the man that once chased her in her nightmares.

He had changed so much. She remembered his speech just when the war had begun. He was not frightening. At least not as much as he was before...

He was strong, wise and mature...

And _nice_. Hinata had completely frozen.

"I saw your wound today, but forgot to take care of it..." the man mumbled, busy in rolling the bandage around her palm.

"You... you don't have to..."

"Don't be silly, you do not expect Konoha and the Hokage to look good at me if you returned injured, do you?"

Hinata only parted her lips. This was just a scratch. And she was going to take care of it eventually, after all she was going to be here with Naruto and the others for at least two more days.

But what could she do? Stopping him would be rude. And leaving him cater for her was... awkward.

"What were you doing in that cave anyway?" Gaara asked, dragging her out of her thoughts.

"I... - Hinata started - I... wanted to hide."

"Aa."

The man finished with the bandage, made a perfect knot and inspected his work, lifting her arm.

"This was actually my favorite hiding place when I was younger. Back when I was a different person. But this is a long story."

"I... I have time" Hinata said, surprised with her own words.

The Kage looked at her without saying anything. She noticed his eyes drifting to her hair and remembered she hadn't had the time to take a shower and was probably not a very beautiful sight.

She was quite mistaking.

"Well – Gaara started – Back when I was a little boy and everyone feared me, I didn't have any friends. One day I found this crack in the stones in the outskirts of the village and used the Ichibi to create my own hiding place. I was not aware you had found it."

"It wasn't on purpose – the girl looked down, blushing at the fact that the boy was taking his time to adjust her bandage, her palm on his knee again – I used it as intended."

The Kazekage laughed quietly and looked at her.

"I am glad it helped, but I believe it is too dusty for your condition."

_"Condition? Great, so he thought I am medically ill..."_, she thought.

"I just..." but she forgot what she was about to say.

Gaara had leaned down, shortening the distance between them greatly. He carefully returned her nicely bandaged palm in her lap and looked at her. It was so dark that she could barely see him, but she felt his warm breath on her face.

"This should be better. And if you need to hide again, I can offer you better places than that hole..."

Hinata couldn't move. She could still feel his fingers on her arm and traced it with her senses as it moved, gently brushing through her hair. Finally, his index finger landed on her temple. He was probably inspecting her Byakugan...

Then, all of a sudden, the door to the office swung open, the light from the corridor lighting the two of them. Naruto rushed in the room, still holding a bowl of ramen in his hand.

"Gaara, you can't send half of Suna's military force just to ask me to see you..."

The blond froze. He almost dropped his food too.

Hinata was in his favorite arm-chair, her face inches away from the Kazekage's. He was leaning down at her, touching her face. _The hell?_

Hinata came to her senses and jumped, only making things worse. She tripped in the furniture and landed in Gaara's arms. With a squeak she tried to gain her balance but failed awfully. The red-haired man held her by her shoulders, supporting her. In the end she was finally able to make a few steps back, pressing her pointer fingers so hard that the ex-jinchuuriki feared he would need to further bandage her.

"I... I... – she looked at her feet – I should go! Thank you, Gaara-sama."

With a slight bow, she rushed out of the room.

Both men kept silent for a moment. Then Naruto's chin dropped, some ramen falling on the floor. Gaara calmly went to his usual place, turning the lights on before he sat down.

"You were alone with Hinata-chan?"

"Yes."

"And you were in the dark?"

"Mhm."

"Why were you so close to each other?"

Gaara just knotted his fingers and looked at his friend. Naruto answered with a huge grin. Slamming the door behind him, he crashed onto his favorite chair.

"Man, it sure is awesome being a Kage, isn't it", the blond laughed, spilling his ramen on the desk.

...

**Note:**

_Hey, guys! Than you all for reading and supporting, I am so glad that this story is actually readable :D  
_

_Thank you all who take the time to review, this makes my day and motivates me to write more :)_

Special shout-our for **Zorri-senpai **and **violet404,** who never forget to review and are so amazing and supportive ! Arigato! :3

_I'll try to update chapter 5 shortly :)  
_


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto swabbed up the spilled ramen with his sleeve and looked at the green eyes.

"But seriously, what were you two doing anyway?" the blond gulped the last traces of food from his bowl, ready to concentrate on his conversation.

"I needed her help to locate you, Temari and Kankuro couldn't find you, so I asked her to use her genkai. I had forgotten there was a new ramen shop in town," the red-haired man explained calmly.

Naruto laughed and hurried to take off his Kage cloak. He was still uneasy wearing it, especially around Gaara.

"And you were kissing her because you were so grateful that she had found me?"

The Suna leader gave him a questioning look and the Uzumaki was sure he would've raised an eyebrow if he had any.

"I have not done such a thing. I was simply interested in her Byakugan."

They both went silent for a while.

"Gaara, I am starting to think you have no idea how to act around girls. – After another questioning look, the boy hurried to explain – I know you aren't the most social person, but you cannot treat women the way you treat your sister."

"I don't understand..."

"The thing is... You are socially awkward. And because of that, poor Hinata-chan is probably hyperventilating somewhere."

"But I only helped her with her wound."

Naruto's chin dropped. He sighed and placed his face in his palm. He seriously had to have the girl talk with his friend.

"Look, I know you and I understand you had no bad intentions – the Jinchuuriki started – but you should be more careful around girls. Especially around ones like Hinata-chan. She needs space and if you take it away from her, she becomes uneasy."

The Kazekage nodded.

"You seem to know a lot about her."

"Well, we grew up together. And she kinda had a crush on me..."

"Had a crush on you?"

This time the Hokage had a questioning look.

"Well, she stated she no longer had one just today."

Gaara didn't miss the strange look on Naruto's face after those words. _Was he disappointed, sad or indifferent?_

"Was this why she nearly killed herself today?"

"What?"

"Well – the red-haired man continued – I saw her running in a well known hiding place of mine. I followed her and just in time to get her out of there before she suffocated. This happened right after your conversation with her."

Naruto looked at the empty bowl on the desk in front of him. So he had caused her to go in one of those states again? He was absolutely certain she hadn't had those fits in years. He was no good for her...

"I should apologize to her."

Gaara didn't speak for a while. He closed his eyes and exhaled.

"I don't understand people as well as you do – he finally spoke – but I think that it is not a good idea to break up with her on this mission."

The empty bowl suddenly rolled from the desk and fell on the floor, somehow not breaking, but rather making an annoying rolling sound.

"Breaking up with her?"

"She told me you were just friends, but you act like her lover. This only leads me to conclude that you had been together recently."

"Wait a sec! This is basically the first time I spend with her after the war!"

"Then I understand why she was so upset."

Naruto couldn't take it. He jumped up, slamming his palms on the desk. _What was this all about?_

"What?" was all he could come up with.

"Well – his friend started – If you two didn't have much time together, this means she has waited for a moment when she could finally spend some with you. And to break up with her in this exact moment..."

"I have never been with Hinata **ever**! In fact, for the past few years she has been avoiding any contact with me. I decided to speak to her about this today but didn't know she would freak out..."

Gaara was still on his chair, his chin on his entangled fingers. Both men were looking at each other, saying nothing. When Naruto finally calmed down, he sat on his chair too, looking angrily at his friend.

"What is this all about anyway? Did you call me to speak about Hinata-chan?"

"No – the Kazekage answered calmly. – But I find it quite interesting that you are so jumpy and protective when it comes to the Hyuuga Heiress."

Naruto's eyes widened. What was he implying? Hinata was his dear friend that he protected ever since he was a child. She was like a sister to him. He couldn't possibly have anything else with her... _right?_

"Look, Gaara – he started, trying his best to stay calm, but failing – If you are interested in Hinata and wanted to know if I had something with her – no. You can have her."

He rose from the perfectly comfortable arm-chair and fixed his blue eyes on those of his friend.

"I am tired. If there isn't anything else, I should go."

"Actually, - Gaara also stood up – I just wanted to chat with you, after all, we see each other quite rarely. But maybe it is better if you rest first. I will get Temari to arrange the official meeting."

He finished his sentence and turned his back to the Hokage to gaze at the city outside the window.

"Sure – the Uzumaki answered and rolled his eyes. – See you later."

Gaara waved at his friend, who hurried to get out of the office. He waited for the door to close, turned around and sat on his chair with a sigh. Did they just fight? Over a girl? Since when did friends fight? He was frustrated. His head felt heavy and his back hurt unusually much today. He had too much work to do but needed a rest.

With a thud his head crashed on the pile of papers on the side of his desk when he passed out. This was his usual way of sleeping. Temari or Kankuro would find him later to drag him to his bedroom. He had no more strength to do it himself.

...

Hinata closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She was lying in her bed in her temporary room in Suna. The sun had risen a few hours ago, but she'd had no sleep during the night. All she could think was her conversation with Naruto.

And that strange moment with the Kazekage...

Her head was spinning. Since when did she get caught up in such situations? She was never one to interact with boys. Kiba, Shino and Neji were the only exceptions. Gosh, if her cousin was here to see her now, he would be so disappointed...

She took a deep breath and decided she needed some water. With a lot of effort, she made it to the kitchen and the cold water helped her breathing and spinning head quite a lot. She needed to speak to Kiba urgently. This was getting out of control. After all he always helped her and listened to her worst babbles... Thank God she had him and Shino, otherwise she was sure she wouldn't have made it so far...

She remembered what happened the last time she came out of this room, so this time she was extra careful. She opened the door quietly and peeked in the hall. She couldn't see or hear anyone. She stepped out and closed the door behind her as gently as humanly possible.

The girl started tiptoeing, trying to make no sound at all while making it to the staircase. She safely passed Naruto's room and exhaled quietly. She could see the doors to Temari's and Kankuro's rooms and hoped they were still sleeping.

And as if fate was mocking her, just when she was passing the room of Gaara's sister, the door to it opened. She nearly squeaked, but managed to cover her mouth with her palms, one still nicely bandaged.

Instead the blond woman, she faced a completely naked, completely surprised and very tired looking Shikamaru.

They both looked at each other, neither moving nor saying anything. When Hinata's mind could function again, her palms slowly moved from her mouth to her eyes. What was with her and naked men anyway?

Shikamaru hurried to cover the lower part of his body with the clothes he held in his hands. He was relieved that from all people, it was Hinata that busted him. He was certain she would never speak of this or tell anyone. But still, he had to hurry off this floor before the seductive monster that lived in Temari woke up to cease him again...

The Heiress peaked through her fingers to see the man adjusting his boxers on. He had a lean figure, but still enough muscles covered his body to make any girl scream when he appeared shirtless, which, though, didn't happen often.

_Such a pity_, she thought and instantly felt the need to slap herself.

It seemed that Shikamaru was in a hurry, because he didn't bother putting more clothes on, but rather gestured her to follow him and headed to the stairs.

Blushing deeply, the Hyuuga followed, trying her best not to stare at his masculine back, or more importantly – anywhere below it.

They finally reached the floor where she could hear Kiba's light snoring and hoped at least he would have some clothes on. Shikamaru hurried to get into his room and just waved to the girl.

Hinata exhaled and leaned on the door in front of her. All the missions with Neji and Temary had spoiled her. She was used to her cousin's soldier-like discipline and had forgotten what it was to have people around and to have the opportunity to waste time.

Before she could knock, Akamaru noticed her scent and rushed to the door, barking loudly. She heard his owner grunt when getting up from the bed and waited for him to open the door. She was relieved to the fullest when she saw him quite fully clothed.

"Hinata-san, why are you up so early?" The boy rubbed his neck, yawning. Akamaru somehow made it around his feet to greet her, nearly throwing her on the floor.

"I...I just... – she mumbled, plying with the bandage on her palm – wanted to talk..."

The Izunuka flashed a worried look on his face, closed the door after him and headed out of the spherical building.

There were still not many people on the streets, which Hinata was grateful for. The huge dog ran around them.

"Is everything alright? – Kiba asked, looking at her bandaged palm – How did you get injured?"

"It was an accident..."

The boy blocked her way and fixed his gaze in her white eyes.

"Hinata, just one word and I'm going to dismember whoever did this."

Akamaru agreed with a bark.

"Oh! No, Kiba-kun, I just cut myself by accident, really!"

The boy looked at her for a few seconds, his look uncertain, but in the end just rolled his eyes and continued walking.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

The heiress gulped and started playing with the end of the zipper on her jacket. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure if she wanted to speak of what had happened just a day ago. She just wanted to have a normal, not awkward and fully clothed conversation with someone.

"I heard you had a fight with Naruto... You know, I don't care if he is the Hokage, I'll still beat him up."

Hinata shook her head. No normal conversations for her today.

"We didn't fight – she managed to say. – We just had an awkward conversation that ended up in me freaking out, as usual."

"You will never change around him – Kiba sighed. - And I thought you no longer had those fits."

"I didn't have them... But he... He asked me if I still loved him."

Kiba froze, causing the Hyuuga to bump into him.

"What?"

Hinata nodded.

"And what did you tell him?" - The boy continued, fixing his eyes on her again.

"The truth... – It took a bit too much time for her to continue – That I... Did not love him anymore..."

Her former teammate held her by her shoulders and shook her lightly. Fury in his eyes, he grit his teeth, showing his canines.

"And why did you lie to him?" He asked angrily.

Hinata wasn't used to see him like this and looked down. She was sure he knew the answer because she have had this conversation with him in the past too many times.

"You know why..."

"No! – The man interrupted, causing the few people around to look at them – Do not tell me again how you did not deserve to be with someone like him. Hinata, the only one who can deserve you more than the Hokage would be the Head of the Land of Fire himself!"

The girl blushed and looked away.

"Come on, look at me. When will you understand, you are not valuable for only being the Heiress of one of the strongest bloodlines in history. You are beautiful, strong, intelligent and brave. Naruto is the one that does not deserve someone like you to waste her feelings over him, because he is a moron."

Hinata's lips parted. She was frustrated. The years away from the Uzumaki had helped her a lot to forget how she felt for him. But now things were different. She expected her head to spin, her hands to shake... She expected Kiba's words to bring back the feelings she had for the blond.

But all she could think about was Gaara.

...

**Note:**

_I hope you like this chapter, guys, it actually turned out a bit better than I expected._

_Thank you all who always remember to review and who support me so much! I am extremely happy you like the story and will try my best not to disappoint you._

_I will need some time to think of the next chapter. But it turned out I like requests (as Oriz requested Shikamaru to be naked :D), so if you have something on your mind, feel free to request anything, I'd love to experiment with the the story :D_

_* Are the chapters getting too long? *_


	6. Chapter 6

"Hinata! - Kiba shook her shoulders again – Are you even listening to me?"

The girl blinked and fixed her eyes on him. The Inuzuka instantly lost all tracks of anger in him. He could never be angry at her, especially when she gazed at him with those big white eyes that had just the slightest shade of purple in them. It made them so beautiful...

The man shook his head, trying to pull himself together.

Kiba had always loved her with all his heart, ever since their chunin years. He would kill and die for her, and his heart hurt every time he saw her upset. He had always known he would never have the slightest chance to be with her, so he had decided to do whatever it took to keep her safe and well. One of the most important things in his life was to try to keep her happy...

But she would never find out about this.

"Kiba? – her gaze was persistent. – I am not lying to myself. This time I am not."

With her bandaged palm she gently removed his hands off her shoulders and smiled a weak smile.

"I am just too tired of being like this - she continued. – Since day one I knew Naruto would never look at me differently than like a friend. And still I was persistent to the point of risking my life for him."

"And what did that show you?" Kiba was still angry.

"Exactly, - she sighed. – After the battle with Pain I realized I had absolutely no chance with him. But back then I was still convincing myself that he was just too preoccupied to notice me, too busy in saving his best friend. And then – shortly after the war, I realized he just didn't like me in that way.

Hinata kept silent for a moment, lowering her eyes to look at the ground. She felt Kiba's hand on her shoulder again and this gave her the strength to look at him.

"Hinata – he started. – You should really change your way of thinking, once and for all. Have more confidence in yourself and stop wasting your time with morons that do not even deserve to breathe the same air as you."

The boy smiled and couldn't help but feel amazing, seeing the instant joy and determination in his former teammate's eyes. The girl nodded and this time smiled a genuine smile, the exact one that had always melted his heart. She was only getting more beautiful with time...

"Thank you, Kiba-kun – her smile got even wider. – And I am sorry for waking you up so early. But you do have a point. Thank you. Now I will go, before I get discouraged to do what I want to do.

With a slight bow, the Heiress left back for the spherical building, leaving Kiba staring at her in question and concern.

...

She had no time to think. No time to argue with herself and no time to question her plan.

She forced her feet not to stop, dragging herself to the top floor of the building. She stopped only when she finally reached the door, unguarded for some strange reason. She was sure, knowing Kankuro, that usually there were at least four guards before the Kazekage's office door, but there was no one. The floor was dark and empty, no noise could be heard. But she was sure he was there. She could feel his chakra.

She stopped just before opening the door. The panic could not wait any longer and her world came crumbling down, with one question screaming in her head – why was she there anyway?

But Hinata knew herself well enough. She was sure that if she stopped now, she would never have the courage to do something so bold again.

With a deep breath, the girl pressed the doorknob and without even knocking, she went in the office of Suna's leader.

And her shock was so great, she could not even exhale properly.

On the broad desk, with documents scattered all over it and even some on the floor, lay Gaara. His face was dug in the papers, his red hair spread around his features. She could not see his eyes. Nor hear his breathing.

For a second the Hyuuga stared at the man. He was just lying there, motionless. Then, slowly, her sense came back to her. Suddenly she remembered all healing techniques that Sakura had taught her during the war. She rushed to the man, but still had no idea what to do. It was probably best if she called help.

But there was no time for that. If he was injured, if someone had attacked him, she needed to be sure he would live. She tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned in slowly.

She could hear him breathe, but just slightly. He was definitely hurt. But she could see no bruises, no wounds or cuts. Or blood.

The Hyuuga instantly activated her Byakugan and gazed at the unconscious man. She traced every single chakra point, and the only thing that caught her attention were the few dots, not responding correctly to his chakra flow on his back. But was this enough to cause his current condition?

With the veins on her temples still clearly visible, she placed her arms on his shoulders and gently moved him so he could lie back on his chair. He didn't seem hurt. But he didn't seem fine either.

She traced his whole chakra path again, but could not find a serious problem. Was it possible that he was just... sleeping?

She knew that the easiest way to check this would be to check his eyes for the so called REM. Ino had once told her that when sleeping, a person's eyes could be seen moving behind the eyelids.

Hinata slowly lowered herself to the possibly, hopefully sleeping man. Her hair brushed his cheek and her breath tickled his senses.

Gaara slightly moaned, turning his head in his sleep in the direction from where the silky sensation had come from. This, of course startled the kunoichi enough to force her to make a few steps back. But she quickly had to regain the closeness to safe the red-haired man's head from crashing into the desk.

She held his face in her palms, not knowing what to do. This definitely didn't go as she had planned. She positioned him on the chair once more, but feared he would lose his balance again. He did seem to be sleeping. She remembered that someone, probably Shikamaru, told her once that due to Shukaku, the one-tailed beast, Gaara could not get any sleep at all. So maybe passing out was his way of sleeping now.

But she couldn't leave him like this. She had to move him... Hinata blushed deeply, remembering she well knew where his bedroom was. But she at least had to return the favor. He had already helped her enough.

But of course, she couldn't lift him. It didn't take her long to remember the technique she had mastered during the Shinobi War. The Heiress took a step back, bit her thumb and smeared the blood from it on her left, uninjured palm. After a swift performing of several signs, she placed her hand on the desk, performing the summoning jutsu.

In a thick cloud a giant, black bear appeared. It had white fur around the neck and paws, sharp teeth sticking out of its opened mouth.

"Have not seen you in a while, Hyuuga-sama" – the bear exclaimed with a deep voice.

"It has been a while, Kuma-san. But now I need your help."

The large animal looked at the girl, than to Gaara.

"Have you killed him?" it asked.

Hinata's eyes widdened.

"No! – she tried to keep her voice low, although she was absolutely sure nothing could wake up the passed out man – I just need to move him and I.. Won't be able to do it myself..."

The creature rolled its eyes.

"So you just want to use me as a vehicle? – as the heiress didn't answer, it just sighed. – I knew I was making a mistake when I gave that Tsunade my seal..."

The black bear had been known for its harsh behavior among the shinobi during the last war. But its only weakness had always been Hinata. This was why Tsunade had given her the summoning scroll.

And it did not take the animal too long to respond to the girl's large, sad eyes. It rolled its eyes again.

"Come on, just throw him on me and tell me where you want him."

Followed by a large smile, the girl hurried to do what she was told. But getting Gaara off his chair and on the bear's back was harder than she had imagined.

While trying to move him, she blushed deeply a few times, due to the fact that changing his position often led his face to land either very close to the edge of the desk, or right in to her bust.

In the end, Hinata managed to place him on the black creature and they slowly headed out of the room. She supported his weight, trying her best to keep him on the back of the giant bear.

It was pure luck that no one saw her while performing this madness. Fortunately, they got to the room faster than she even hoped and she hurried to open the large doors.

Closing them behind her, she felt better, knowing that there wasn't anyone that could see her now, and headed to the bedroom she had been in just a day ago.

Blushing deeply, she continued through the rooms, until she finally got to the large bedroom. She did her best to place the Kazekage safely on the large bed and then hurried to sit on the floor, cold sweat dripping down her neck. _Now what?_

She thanked the bear and it hurried to disappear, mumbling a "you're welcome".

Now Hinata was alone with the man, absolutely unaware of what to do next. She had to tell someone she had found the Kasekage and moved him. She had to get someone to check on him. The girl remembered she clearly knew where Temari's room was, thanks to the naked Shikamaru from this morning. Feeling her face burn, she stood up and started pacing around the room. Finally she set her eyes on the sleeping man and an uneasy feeling crawled in her.

Carefully, the Hyuuga made a few steps and soon was right next to the bed. She gazed at the closed eyes before her, traced the kanji symbol on his forehead and pondered over the redness of his hair. She was not used to examining someone's face like that. The only face she had checked with such detail before, was Naruto's. She knew the blond's features by heart.

But Gaara's face was totally different than the Hokage's. Aside of the lack of eyebrows, this man had sharper features. His jawbone was more underlined and his cheekbones were more defined. Being used to Naruto's round-shaped face, this was something new to her.

It took her some time to notice how little the distance had gotten between her and Suna's leader. But for some reason she couldn't pull away. She didn't want to... She was fascinated by the sight of him, without any explanation why.

The hair tucked behind her ear slipped away and a flock of it fell on Gaara's face. Hinata quickly went to retract it, but her hand was instantly stopped. His face was covered in her hair, but she figured out this had awakened him. His arm was clutched tightly against her wrist.

Freaking out, she tried to back away, but was stopped again by his other hand wrapping around her left wrist. She didn't want to use her techniques against him, but if he didn't let her go, she knew she would be forced to.

Instead, the Kazekage slowly let her right hand go and removed the black waterfall off his face. His green eyes fixed on her and she couldn't help but freeze. His fingers entangled around her hair, eventually putting it back behind her ear. Their eyes kept fixed on each other for some time, then he finally let go of her. She immediately backed away and stood up, watching him rise on his elbows on the bed. His expression still a bit sleepy, he looked very tired, but in the same time the interest in his eyes was obvious.

"I... – she started, but did not know what to say. – Ano..."

Gaara just rose, sat on the bed with his feet on the ground and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You should not worry if you see me like this again – he started, his voice hoarse. – This is my way of sleeping."

He then took to rubbing his temples. The complete silence was suffocating her.

"Can you not sleep better now that the tailed beast is no longer in you?" Her sheer curiosity was greater than her shyness.

The red-haired man raised his face to gaze upon her. It took him a few seconds to respond.

"Those are the aftereffects. Unfortunately, sleep is still not one of my best abilities."

With a serious face, he stood up, heading to her.

"And what were you doing in my office anyway?"

He was standing right in front of her now, his arms folded together in their natural way. She noticed the distance between them was very little simply because she was not leaning on the wall right across the kind-sized bed.

"I... – she felt the need to disappear. – I just... wanted to speak with you..."

The kanji symbol on Gaara's forehead rose a little, expressing the fact that he was quite astonished the humble Hyuuga Heiress had let herself in his office. Not that he minded, though. He was just... pleasantly surprised.

"What for?" – he asked her, trying not to distract himself from the conversation.

But she didn't answer. Her eyes moved from his to the floor and she started playing with the bandage on her palm, seemingly uncomfortable. Gaara remembered his conversation with Naruto last night and hurried to take a few steps back, so the girl could feel better.

And this had an immediate effect. It even seemed that Hinata could not breathe easier. But his bedroom was probably not the best place for... Having a conversation with her.

_Not at this point_, thought Gaara, a slight smirk playing on the edge of his lips. But he kept his serious expression and gestured the Hyuuga to follow him.

He walked out of the bedroom and felt her follow just a few steps away. The living room was dark, the curtains were refraining the sun light from getting inside. The Kasekage sat on one of the chairs around the big round table and waited for the raven-haired girl to do the same. She chose to sit right across of him, leaving a great distance between them due to the size of the round furniture.

The man entangled his fingers and let his chin rest on them. He gazed at the woman, who seemed to still be uncomfortable. He decided to follow his best friend's instructions regarding her and be more careful.

"So – he started – how did you even manage to move me here?"

Hinata blushed deeply. _It was astonishing to watch this._

"I... – she mumbled, but took a deep breath. – I used a bear."

Gaara blinked. Then, when he still couldn't believe it, his eyes widened.

"A bear?"

"Yes."

"What bear?" – It seemed that it was hard getting information from her. Was that due to perfect shinobi training, probably a preparation to let het in the ANBU team? Or was she just hard to converse with?

"A summoned one."

The symbol on the man's forehead disappeared in his hair in disbelief.

"So you summoned a bear that helped you move me here?"

"Yes." Hinata felt her face burn to the point when it was getting painful, but she was determined not to let her eyes off his gaze.

Then, with no warning, the leader of Suna burst into laughter. His voice was deep, but his laughter sounded like a child's one – so clear and pure. He wrapped his arms around his stomach and almost smashed his face on the table. She could not see it now, hidden by his hair, but she could still hear the mumbled laughter. Usually this would've made her uncomfortable. She was always uneasy when Naruto laughed like this due to something she had said or done. But now it was different. This was making her smile, easing her heart and making her feel better. She couldn't help but feel nice, seeing how happy the man seemed.

He finally calmed down and rose on his chair, rubbing his left eye, still smiling.

"You are really astonishing, Hyuuga-san – he announced, with the slight traces of laughter still in his voice. – Come with me, you deserve something special."

Gaara rose and gestured her to follow him again. And in the general direction of his bedroom. She didn't move. _What had she gotten herself into now?_

**_Note:_**

**__**_Hey guys! Thank you again for supporting me and waiting for my exams to be over so I can finally update :D_

I am not sure how I feel about this chapter, but it is the beginning of something interesting, so I promise the next one to be more interesting :D

I am trying my best to keep the chapters a bit short, but it is not working at all :/ Tell me if it's getting too long.

And thank you all who don't forget to review, it is really inspiring me and helping me write more.

_The next chapter should be out soon. :)_


	7. Chapter 7

"You are really astonishing, Hyuuga-san – he announced, with the slight traces of laughter still in his voice. – Come with me, you deserve something special."

Gaara rose and gestured for her to follow him again in the general direction of his bedroom. She didn't move. _What had she gotten herself into now?_

The man looked at her with his green eyes, making her uneasy. In the end he decided she hadn't understood him correctly and with a calm pace walked right next to her. He raised his hand, motioning for her to take it.

"Come."

But she still didn't move. Hinata moved her eyes from his, to the hand in front of her. She didn't have much time to think, neither could she think straight at all. Her face burned, her fingers hurt from squeezing the zipper of her jacket. It was suddenly too warm in this room.

She finally decided that she was going to try and run. What other options did she have anyway, it was her fault she had gotten into this mess with this... _kinky_ person...

She stood up and tried to back away, but her hand was instantly caught by the red-haired man. He didn't even give her time to back away, but pulled her right to the door they had come out of just a few minutes ago.

Just when he got to the said door, Gaara realized why he felt the girl trying to pull away from him, even though doing it gently. _He was literally dragging the Hyuuga Heiress to his bedroom. _He froze before turning the doorknob, feeling the instant need to face-palm himself. _He sucked at having any kind of interactions with women._

"My room actually has a very spacey balcony," he decided to explain. "The sight of Suna is marvelous."

He felt the girl behind him relax. And even though he kind of enjoyed the silky sensation of her skin, he decided to let go of her wrist, hoping to make things easier for her. He felt somewhat bad for making the raven-haired kunoichi his guinea pig for testing his own abilities to converse with females, but couldn't miss the chance to have some time with her. For some reason the girl always caught his attention, even during the war. Even through the chunin exams...

He finally opened the door and went straight to the curtains behind the king bed of his. He pulled the thick fabric, which revealed a set of huge French windows. The last one on the right was actually a door. The man opened it and turned to the girl, watching her as she slowly approached him.

The morning sun colored her pale skin with its light. Her usually white eyes now had the slight scent of pink in them. The sunrise that morning was beautiful, but not as much as she was at the moment.

Her rosy lips curled into a smile, seeing the rising sun above the still half-asleep village. She didn't hesitate and hurried outside, enjoying the magnificent view. Gaara always liked to watch the sunrise from this particular place whenever he couldn't get any sleep or rest. But today he didn't care of the morning's beauty. His eyes were glued to the girl and he could neither pull his thoughts together, nor understand why she had such an effect on him. Could this be some kind of a jutsu or a special kind of chakra?

"It is so beautiful!" Hinata finally exclaimed.

"Absolutely gorgeous," added the Kazekage, though he was not sure if they were speaking about the same thing.

They fell silent. Each of them stared at the amazing sight they had in front of their eyes. The sky slowly lost all traces of orange and pink it had, indicating the day had begun completely. The light was still mild, but it was getting brighter.

"I can't remember the last time I have seen such an amazing sight, Gaara-sama. Thank you for letting me see it."

The girl hurried to bow to him, her hair hiding her face. He felt the urge to touch it, but was able to kick the thought out of his head before it was too late.

"I also need to thank you, Hyuuga-san, for I am not sure of the last time my day had started so nicely."

Hinata blushed and looked down. And just in time to see a little girl pointing her finger at her from the street below the building. She couldn't hear what she was saying at first, but shortly understood the message. One by one, all the people on the street turned their attention to her.

Hinata was standing alone with the leader of Suna on the balcony of his bedroom in the very beginning of the day.

And there it was, as always in such situations, the sudden weakness in her feet and spinning of her head came crashing down at her. All of a sudden this beautiful moment had turned into a disaster.

She took a few steps back, trying to pull herself away from the sight of the crowd. Her breathing heavy, she clenched to the wall behind her. _This could not be happening..._

She finally managed to turn her eyes to the man standing a few feet away. He seemed to be oblivious of what was going on. He just watched her with slight interest. He then turned his eyes to the crowd.

Gaara watched the babbling people below, remembering again how fed up he was with all the rumors and whispers he heard about himself. This was the only part of being a Kazekage that he extremely loathed, but with the years of ruling Suna he was getting used to it. And he knew the procedure.

He calmly raised his hand and waved to the people. After a few seconds he turned to the girl and to her surprise, he seemed perfectly calm and fine with the whole situation.

_And no wonder_, Hinata thought._ He must have a lot of fan-girls and is probably used to handling situations like this._

_Just like Naruto._

She was barely able to look at the man, feeling her face burn painfully much. He waited for her to enter the bedroom again and closed the balcony's door.

"You should pay them no attention, Hinata-san", he started while leaving the room, heading to the next one. "They love to talk. Suna is too boring. People here have few interesting things to do, and making stories about the Kazekage is one of them."

Hinata nodded and followed him to the kitchen. He stopped there and pored himself a mug of coffee. She was not used of drinking the dark liquid and actually found it disgusting, so she kindly declined his offer of the drink.

Then she just followed him back to his office. The door was open and soon Hinata noticed Temari trying to tidy up the documents around the big desk. She greeted her brother and raised an eyebrow, watching the Heiress follow Gaara with such an ease in the room.

Not that she minded. _It was time for him to get a girlfriend anyway._

The Kazekage took his usual place on his chair, thanked his sister for helping him out and took to checking the paperwork. The Hyuuga realized she had to leave him work now, but before she could even think of leaving, she was interrupted.

"I believe we actually did not speak of what you wanted to discuss with me, Hinata."

And he was right. This morning she had wanted to speak to him, and instead had found him unconscious on his desk. But it was too late. There was no way she could say what she wanted to say now. She couldn't even imagine what had gotten to her, to think she could rush in his office and just...

"It's nothing," she said instead and tried to smile. "We can speak another time, when you are not busy. Thank you, Kazekage-sama".

With a bow she hurried to exit the room. Temari used the opportunity to leave too.

"Hinata-san," the blond woman called when she closed the door. Hinata's blood froze for a moment. "Have you seen Shikamaru? I have not seen him since last night... I mean since yesterday and I need to... Speak to him."

The girl calmed down and remembered the naked shinobi she had encountered this exact morning. Could this day get any crazy?

"I think he might be sleeping, Temari-san," she answered. "I will tell you if I see him."

With a smile, the Byakugan user bowed and hurried to lock herself in her room, having no intentions of ever coming out of there until this mission was over.

...

Naruto was just heading back from the ramen shop, still a bit sleepy, when he saw the crowd outside of the Kazekage building.

_I hope they are not waiting for me_, he thought, remembering all the pesky fan-girls that couldn't leave him breathe on his previous journey to the Land of Water.

But he was wrong. No one even noticed him when he entered the gathering of people. He couldn't think of a reason why all of them were there so early in the morning, but soon understood it perfectly.

Hinata was standing on a balcony together with Gaara. Was his friend announcing something important?

But the man was not speaking. Instead, the blond saw the girl back away, hiding from sight. A few moments later the Kazekage waved for some reason and disappeared as well.

And then it hit him. He could hear the people around him whisper. Some of them were happy that the man had finally set on a particular girl, and some of them were not approving the choice he had made with Hinata.

_So they were __**together**__. But how? When? _He was not aware of Hinata ever been involved with him, nor did he know of her to have ever been in Suna before. What was going on?

The two people disappeared shortly and the crowd slowly disassembled. But he found it hard to move.

Naruto had actually remembered the whole story with Hinata just yesterday. He would never forget what she did when he battled Pain. Nor would he ignore all the sacrifices she had made to try and help him during the war. The damn Madara had almost murdered her just because she had refused to back off.

He had forgotten about her feelings for him. And he was an idiot. How could he not notice that she had been dodging every kind of interaction she could have with him for the past four years?

He was almost 21 now, and still hated himself for being as naive as a child. Because he was absolutely aware of why he was so angry now. They had taken away his toy. He was not playing with it, but it was his. Hinata was his. And he suddenly was furious at Gaara. Mad about the fact that his friend hadn't even mentioned things to him. And they spoke about the girl just last night.

This was it. Naruto threw the ramen in his hands in the nearby trash and headed to the top floor of the spherical building. He was not going to let anyone take Hinata from him.

...

**Note:**

_Thank you all for supporting this story, for reviewing and making me happy!_

_I decided to update the next chapter quickly, because it is actually a shorter one. But I promise the next one to be a bit longer and more interesting :)_

_Skltl90 asked why I chose the animal that Hinata summoned to be a bear: To be hones, I wanted her summon to be something very contrary to her - she is slim, shy and calm, and the bear is huge, rough and angry. And somehow this creates a perfect balance between them, at least this is how I imagined the relationship between the Kunoichi and the creature. It had helped her battle in the Shinobi War and had protected her since it likes her for some reason :D_

_Thank you again for all your support. feel free to spam me with reviews, any comments are important for me to know how to improve my story. And don't forget to ask if you have any requests. I love doing requests :D_


	8. Chapter 8

Naruto was not sure how, but before he could notice it, he was already half the way to the Kazekage's office. His feet couldn't stop in his rage.

Finally he got to the big door on the last floor of the round-shaped building and stopped. He wanted to rush in, to break the entrance and burst his fury at every part of furniture that got in his way, but he couldn't. He was the Hokage now. He had to be more serious, more mature.

This, and there were also 4 guards in front of the entrance of the office. With the little sleep he'd had in the last couple of days, they would've beaten the ramen out of him.

So he decided, as angry as he was, to keep it down. Instead, he straightened up, took a deep breath and took a good look at the four ANBU guards, who were already taking their fighting positions.

He tried not to make any harsh movements and slowly raised his hand, knocking on the wooden door.

"Come in," he heard Gaara's calm voice from inside.

The blond did not hesitate. He stepped inside the office and hurried to sit on the arm-chair in front of the large desk, biting the inside of his cheek, trying to refrain from any mood outbursts.

The red-haired man took the time to finish reading the document in his hands, signed it and placed it on a huge pile of papers on the right of his desk.

"Good to finally see you, old friend," he started. "I was about to..."

"I saw you with Hinata."

The leader of Suna moved the papers in front of him to his left side. He didn't want to get distracted from this conversation. The man just entangled his fingers and left his chin rest on them, green eyes fixing sharply on blue ones.

"I know," he just added. "I saw you too."

This frustrated Naruto a bit. He did not expect such a reaction. As he was not able to find his words, the man in front of him continued:

"What about it?"

"Wasn't that your bedroom balcony?"

"Yes."

"I see." Naruto finished his sentence with a nod and looked away for a moment. He was aware he had lost all tracks of the Hyuuga Heiress, but for her to change that much...

The room fell silent. Gaara was staring at Naruto, a little frustrated with the sudden interest his blond friend had in the girl. Did he not say he didn't care about her just a few hours prior to this conversation?

"So..." the Jinchuuriki decided to finish his thoughts. "You are sleeping together."

This was not a question. No, it was a statement.

Gaara crossed his arms in front of his chest, still trying to grasp the ridiculousness of this last sentence. He was a murderer, a lunatic and a sociopath, but he was old fashioned. He could never bring to shame a girl in such a way, especially not the Hyuuga princess. He would never be with her in such a way, unless he married her.

This thought lingered in his mind for a moment, but he decided to chase it away. This conversation was far more important. The people of Suna were free to think whatever they wanted, to make all the stories they wanted. He actually enjoyed them involving him with beautiful women, but this time it was different. If Naruto was left with the thought he had... **been** with her, this could lead to much more problems, especially for the girl herself.

"Naruto," the man started with all the seriousness he had in him. "You are insulting me."

The blue eyes fixed on the green ones again.

"So you are not..."

"No."

"Not even..."

"No."

The room fell silent again. But this time both men relaxed. They were unshakable in their stances, but from the inside both were feeling odd. Since when did they have such conversations anyway?

Then Naruto decided to let it out. He sighed loudly and his head dropped, his forehead hitting the desk.

"Thank God," he exclaimed, his voice muffled due to the position he was in. He then raised and looked at his friend with a smile. "And I thought I would have to beat you up!"

And, surprisingly for the Uzumaki, his listener did not react. His face was cold and motionless.

"Explain to me why you think this could've happened at all."

The blond gulped. All of a sudden he felt odd again.

"I just..."

"I might look like the kind to do it. But explain to me why you think she would've done something so reckless?"

The Hokage was completely frustrated. His eyes widened at his inability to find a correct answer. And to the fact that Gaara seemed awfully upset and even furious.

"This," the Kazekage continued, not even waiting for his interlocutor to say a thing, "is actually the first time I get the chance to talk to the Heiress. And I understood that much about her. She is noble, prideful and gentle. She would never bring such a shame to herself, her family and clan. And I thought you knew her well."

"I do!" Naruto felt the rage bubbling in his veins again. "But we grew apart. For a second I thought she has changed enough to lose her mind and start acting stupid."

"Well, as far as I understand, she has not changed a bit."

For the third time today, painful silence fell in the room.

"Seriously, Gaara," Naruto couldn't take it anymore. "What is with you and her?"

"I should ask you the same question."

The Hokage instantly jumped up, slamming his clenched fists on the desk, lowering himself to his friend.

"You know," he was trying to keep his voice low. "You can do whatever you want with her. I officially do not give a summoned rat's ass for what she is doing and who she is doing it with..."

But before he could finish, a wave of sand flew up to him, slamming him full force to the ceiling just above the wide desk. The dusty matter covered him completely, squeezing his body to the point that he could barely breathe. Only his face was visible and he watched as the previous Monster of Suna stepped on his chair, climber on the desk and stood below the blond, staring him in the eye just a few inches away.

For a moment Naruto saw the look his friend had when they were younger, the one he knew well. The one where you could see the monster hiding somewhere deep in the consciousness. The look Gaara had when he used to kill people. Naruto was completely immobile. He could not move a finger.

"Listen very carefully," The red-haired man started, his voice low and frighteningly calm. "Take your shinobi and leave Suna immediately."

The Uzumaki parted his lips, but he couldn't make a sound.

"You came here to discuss Sasuke's freedom, didn't you? I told you I would need to consider your offer last time you were here, but I no longer need to think about it. Do with the Uchiha as you wish. I am no one to decide his faith. You know him best and if you decide he should live as a free man, then so be it."

Naruto tried to speak again, but the sand only squeezed him tighter. He was starting to feel dizzy.

"So take your escort and leave. You have no more business here."

The sand suddenly let go of him and he dropped flat on the desk, spilling the piled paperwork. The Jinchuuriki managed to roll over and fall on the floor, gasping for air. He finally was able to stand on four feet, looking at Gaara. But the Kazekage had already passed him, headed for the door. He opened it and didn't even look at the blond.

"You are no longer welcome here."

Naruto's chin dropped but he was still unable to gather his thoughts and react.

"Be sure to leave immediately, I would not like to make my guards throw you out of the village," he heard him say while exiting the room.

When he could finally breathe normally, the reality came crashing down on him. The blond was standing alone in the office of the Kazekage still unable to fully grasp what had happened.

Gaara knew him well, he was aware of how emotional and short-tempered the Uzumaki was, and had always been fascinated by his recklessness. But now something was different. Suna's leader was different.

He had just banned him out of his second home. Over a girl.

...

_**Note:**_

_****Hey guys! Thank you all for your major support and kindness, your reviews make my day and help me get inspired to write more._

_You seriously have no idea what it means for me to open my email and see that people actually like this story! You people are amazing!_

_This chapter had to be a bit shorter and more dramatic, as it is the actual start of the drama between the two Kages. I'll try to make the next chapter a bit more interesting and filled with more action, as this one was quite serious (at least for me)._

_Don't forger I love requests (I am currently working on one my dear friend Oriz made :D )._

_Thank you again for all your reviews and kindness. I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible :)_


	9. Chapter 9

A sudden bang at the door startled Hinata to the point that she jumped, spilling the hot tea she had just made all over her.

She clenched her teeth, but hurried to get to the door of her Suna room since the person on the other side was trying his best to take the wooden piece down. And to her surprise, the angry person turned out to be Shikamaru, this time fully clothed and looking serious. She tried to ask what was going on, but he flew to the room and hurried to close the door after him.

"Shikamaru-san," she started. "If this is about this morning..."

"It is not. In fact, it has nothing to do with that. We have to go. Pack as quickly as you can, we'll be waiting outside the building."

The girl blinked, her large white eyes widening. She had the awful feeling that had something to do with the balcony disaster.

"Wait," she said, stopping the Nara from exiting the room. "Has something happened?"

The man looked at her and rolled his eyes. _This is such a drag_, she heard him mumble.

"I am not sure, but we better get out of Suna quickly."

The Heiress didn't need more information. As it was so urgent, it was better if she didn't waste more time asking questions. She waited for the man to leave and clenched her fists. She hoped with all her heart that nothing had happened to Konoha...

Unlike most girls, she was a quick packer. In a couple of minutes she was already ready to leave. And just as she was about to exit, taking one last look at the beautiful room, someone knocked on the door again.

But it wasn't anyone from her fellow Konohans. It was a member of the Suna ANBU team. Startled and confused, she tried to speak, but the man just handed her a small package and left.

She looked at the small box in her hands, absolutely frustrated now. Her name was written down in a beautiful handwriting on the paper wrapping. The blood red letters reminded her of...

"Hinata!"

"Kiba-kun," she exclaimed, happy to see her former team mate. "What is happening?"

"Not sure. But let's hurry, Naruto is already half way through the city."

She just nodded, tucked the small package in her bag and followed the boy and the gigantic white dog. Shikamaru was nowhere to be found, so she assumed he was chasing after the Hokage too.

The people of Suna were taking their time to stop, watch and whisper when she passed them, but she tried her best to ignore anything she heard them say. The problem was that neither she, nor Kiba were well aware of the village. Then she finally decided that, since the matter was so urgent, she had no other choice and simply activated her Byakugan. This helped them trace the blond man easily, but she also couldn't miss the ANBU guards that were following them.

In a few minutes they were finally able to catch up with the two men. Hinata saw Naruto and Shikamaru exchange some information quickly and quietly, but decided to not ask yet. Without even looking back, they crossed the large gates of Suna and were shortly into the desert that surrounded the hidden village.

...

After traveling whole day in the burning sand fields that seemed not to end, the Konohans finally got to the edging forests. They traveled a little between the thick trees, but soon it got too dark and they decided to camp. No one had said a word since they had left Sunagakure and this was starting to feel heavy on the team. Furthermore, The Hyuuga couldn't help but notice the worry and sadness on the face of the usually cheerful Hokage. They decided to have some dinner around the camp fire, but, aside of Akamaru, no one could really eat. Soon Naruto excused himself and went into his tent to get some sleep.

Shikamaru volunteered to take the first shift of keeping watch and bid the other two good night. Having grown up with Kiba, Hinata was used to sharing a tent with him, after all he was like a brother to her. But when they got to the tent, they soon realized they couldn't even blink.

"What do you think happened?" Asked the boy.

"I am not sure," shrugged the girl. "But Naruto... seems very worried."

"I know... Could it be something with Konoha? Do you think the Kazekage rejected the Uzumaki's request to back him when defending Sasuke?"

"Maybe..."

They fell silent. The girl eventually decided she was too worried and activated her kekkei genkai. She saw Naruto in his tent, lying on his back, wide awake.

Hinata closed her eyes and exhaled. She had thought that this mission was going to be easy, boring and just barely awkward. And it turned out to be absolutely frustrating and tragic. The girl finally noticed Kiba was staring at her and decided to try and smile. She didn't like to worry people.

"And do you think that maybe..." continued the Inuzuka, "Something happened to our village? Could Naruto have received a message that something was wrong?"

"I hope not," The Hyuuga whispered. "We are currently at peace with all the hidden villages. No one should've attacked us..."

But she didn't sound very assuring. She bit her lip and stared at the ceiling of the tent.

"We'll see," finished Kiba and adjusted his position, his back facing the girl now.

He hated seeing her worry. He was sure this mission would bring her only stress and felt the need to kick himself for not stopping her from joining the escort. The man barely waited for Shikamaru's shift to be over and rushed out of the tent.

...

Naruto lied on his back, not able to blink. He was banished from Suna. This was a disaster. But, as much as he thought, he couldn't figure out why this all had happened.

He had been angry at Gaara. Angry that... He was close to Hinata. But why? It wasn't like Naruto paid any attention to the girl. Being the Hokage didn't leave him any time to even think about girls. And then all of a sudden he felt this rage...

_That's it! _He almost jumped in the small tent. He knew why he had reacted this way. He was just afraid that Gaara would hurt the Heiress, knowing how fragile and gentle she is. He wanted to protect her and...

A bitter taste brought him back to reality. This was in no way the reason for his outburst. He had said ugly things about the girl. He had acted like a jerk and actually deserved the situation he was in now.

_He was jealous._ Hinata was his and his only. She had been there all his life, supporting and risking her life for him. And he never acknowledged her, but he knew she would always be there for him if he needed her.

And now she was pulling away from this safe grip he had on her. He was a monster. And he really... Really liked her. But was it too late?

...

Hinata felt her former teammate leave to switch with the Nara. As soon as the man entered the tent he crashed on the floor and fell asleep. She was happy that at least one of them could get some rest.

The girl was barely able to wait for her time to come, so she can go outside. All that frustration was causing her to feel dizzy, she was afraid she would start suffocating in the small place. In the end, she couldn't take it, grabbed her bag and went outside.

For her surprise, Kiba didn't even say a thing when he saw her. He just stood up, motioned to Akamaru to follow him and went to sleep.

The fire was beautiful. The orange and red colors reminded her of the sunrise she saw with the leader of Suna just a few hours earlier. The Hyuuga Heiress realized this was the first mission since the war, that was so complicated. She took her bag, searching for her bottle of water, but froze when she saw the crimson writing on the small box. She had totally forgotten about this.

Carefully, she cut the paper the package was wrapped in, trying to save the beautiful letters. In a moment in her hands lied a small wooden box. It had the Suna insignia burned on the top of it. She hurried to open it, and froze. There was a letter inside, and below it, in blood-red velvet, laid a desert rose. It was astonishing...

She could barely take her eyes off the beautiful sculpture. Finally she opened the piece of paper and started reading.

**"_Sadly, I could not say goodbye today. Please accept my apologies for this rudeness._**

**_I hope this small gift will remind you of the beauty of our village._**

**_Suna's doors will always be opened to you._**

**_Gaara."_**

Hinata stared at the letter, not sure if she had understood it correctly. She read it a few more times and in the end just gave up and folded the paper. This was... One of the nicest things someone had ever done for her. She opened the box again and gazed at the magnificent rose. _Amazing..._

With a sad look she hurried to hide it in her bag when she heard a sound coming from one of the tents. She stared as Naruto emerged from the dark, slowly walking in the light of the campfire. He looked unnaturally tired.

"May I..." he asked, looking at her. She blinked, having troubles understanding why the Hokage would ever ask someone if he could sit down. But seeing him wait for her response, she hurried to nod.

The blond sat just a few inches from her. He squeezed the back of his neck looking uneasy. Was he hurt?

They kept silent for a while. Hinata was never good at having conversations with him and tried her best not to confront him. She was afraid she would just start hyperventilating, as usual. Instead she focused on the fire in front of her. With her peripheral sight, she noticed the man turning to face her a few times, but tried to ignore him. She didn't have anything to say to him anyway...

"Hinata."

The Hyuuga almost jumped, startled at the sudden confrontation. Also, his tired voice was just a murmur now, making her... uneasy. She could already feel her face starting to burn.

"I..." the man continued, but looked at the fire. "I'm a moron."

She turned to face him. The girl could see exhaustion on his face, worry. But there was this sadness that was so unlike the young Hokage.

"Naruto-sam..."

"No," he interrupted, shifting his piercing blue eyes to gaze at her. "I don't like it when you call me like that. What happened to the "kun" ?

Hinata took a breath and stared at her feet. "That is in the past. Things are... different now."

"I see."

And he didn't know what to say. He looked at her, but she paid no attention, being preoccupied to stare at the campfire. Her hair, usually black, had a strange color due to the light now. Her white, large eyes were now like mirrors to the fire and looked orange with a little red in them. The shadows, moving on her face were making her somewhat extraordinary. She was beautiful. She had grown to an amazing young woman. And Naruto had been too stupid not to notice this. But it was too late. She no longer had that blush in her cheeks when he looked at her, no longer felt awkward.

The Hokage was looking at a different person now. This girl was strong, confident and unyielding. The Uzumaki had lost all feelings and emotions towards Sakura a few years ago. He remembered vividly his battle with Sasuke.

He remembered both of them finishing the fight with one last blow that almost killed them immediately. Naruto could easily recall the pain he had in his body, the sensation of the blood pouring from his veins. He could see his best friend a few meters away in the same condition. He could see the pink-haired kunoichi jumping in the clearing, eying them both. For a moment she had doubted who to save, but then quickly made her choice.

His heard felt as if it was torn apart when he saw the only two medical nins, this including Ino, jump over the Uchiha, healing and patching him, leaving the blond soak in his blood.

But then Naruto had heard a scream, felt a touch. Hinata had appeared from nowhere, yelling at someone behind her. She had turned him over, pressing the hole in his chest, trying to slow down the blood. He saw the tears in her eyes, he felt her efforts, felt her pour her chakra in him, desperately trying to keep him alive.

Then Tsunade had appeared, her hands glowing in green. He felt warm. And this was the last he remembered. And the last he had seen of Hinata for about four years.

Naruto felt awful. He had been so heartbroken that he didn't want to pay any attention to any one, especially girls. He was happy to see Sakura finally having her time with Sasuke, as much as the Uchiha did not enjoy this. But why had he forgotten all about Hinata?

Naruto did not deserve her. He looked at her and confirmed his thoughts. She was a princess. She was royalty, a goddess. And he was a moron. A jerk that had so little sense in him, he realized his life with a four years delay.

Naruto stood up, looking at his feet.

"Hinata... I hope you would be able to forgive me someday..."

He did not wait for her to respond. He just turned around and soon was in his tent again, feeling the desperate need to disappear.

...

_**Note:**_

_Hey guys! You have been so amazing that I felt the need to write this chapter as soon as possible for you :)_

_It is a bit different and doesn't have much Gaara in it, I know. But this will be fixed soon enough._

_I noticed that most of you enjoy Hinata being paired with Gaara more than being with Naruto. This helped me a lot with developing my ideas for this story, so I promise you, there will be enough Gaara for everyone! :D_

_Tell me what you think, what you'd like to see and what you'd not want to happen. It always helps me write._

_Next chapter should be out soon. Thank you all for your support!_


	10. Chapter 10

Hinata barely slept that night.

Naruto had apologized to her for something and now didn't even look her in the eyes. The mood in the group was so tense and painful, that even Akamaru didn't make a sound.

The next two days they spent in complete silence. Only Shikamaru gave orders from time to time. Kiba seemed down for some reason, passing the vibes to his furry friend. And when this trip seemed to be unending, the gates to Konoha appeared in front of the girl as if in a dream. The sun had been up for barely two hours, but the town was already beautiful. The Inuzuka and his enormous dog rushed, yelling in delight. Even the Nara couldn't hide his happiness of finally reaching home.

And Hinata – she wanted to run as fast as she could, to get to her house, rush in her room and lock herself in it, never going out again. Instead she managed to somehow behave herself, calmly passing the gates, nodding the half-asleep guards when entering.

Naruto was walking up front. He stopped for a moment, turned to the group and bowed lightly.

"Thank you all."

No one answered, but they bowed in return. Then the blond turned around, heading for the Hokage tower and was soon lost from sight in the narrow streets of the village.

...

Quickly she hurried in the Hyuuga mansion, tip-toeing as it was still early and she did not want to wake up anyone.

Her relatives had the habit of questioning her with no end, and their queries were as disturbing as possible – starting from who she was about to marry to when and why she was not married yet.

And she understood well that she was the Heiress. She had to continue the Clan as their leader... But how was she about to do that? Why hadn't Neji been on her place, or Hanabi... Even her little sister outmatched her in every single way.

The girl safely made it to her room and sighed. She put her bag on her bed, took off the dirty uniform and headed to the bathroom. But she could not enjoy her shower for too long. Someone banged on her door shortly.

"Hinata-sama," started Neji, looking at his feet, as she was still in her towel. "Lord Hiashi requests your presence."

The girl blinked. She did not expect to see her cousin and was actually happy that he was the first relative she met.

"I will be right there."

"He also requested for you to bring your luggage."

With that the man turned around and left. Hinata blinked once more. Why did her father want her bag? But she did not have any time to waste, Hiashi did not enjoy waiting.

The Heiress put on a traditional Hyuuga kimono and headed for the meeting room. When she entered, she found her father and cousin, along with a few elders. She felt her face burn as she walked in, sitting down on the right side of the Clan leader.

"Hinata, give us the scrolls," her dad demanded, not even looking at her.

She was confused. What scrolls? She was unaware of what was required from her.

"Don't waste our time, girl," exclaimed one of the elderly Byakugan users.

Absolutely startled and frustrated, she turned to her father.

"I have no scrolls."

Silence fell in the room for a moment.

"How come you don't have them?"

"Have you lost them, clumsy girl?" added another elder.

"I..."

"Did the Kazekage not give you anything?"

Hiashi waited for her to respond and was obviously disappointed of her answers.

"Actually..." her voice was trembling now. But before she could finish, her cousin interrupted her:

"What scrolls, Hiashi-sama?"

The Clan leader fixed his attention on Neji, sitting right across him. He took a breath and hesitated, but then decided to let it out.

"You were not supposed to know this yet. But we have been tracking something stolen from our clan years ago, when the previous wars took place. These were scrolls, containing techniques that only certain Byakugan users could manage to handle. Techniques so strong, they can easily exceed the Sharingan in his strongest form."

"Those scrolls were thought to be lost forever, until the Kazekage found them in his father's belongings after the Fourth Shinobi Great War. As Suna and Konoha are in good terms, he notified me that he wanted to return them to us."

"And I hope you can imagine the importance of these scrolls, girl," started one of the elders. "They were one of our Clan's most valuable possessions, until they were stolen. This is why your father arranged you to escort the Hokage. The actual leader of Suna had requested pass them to a Hyuuga directly!"

"But not keeping his promise," the old man on her left continued. "It means the Kazekage has changed his mind..."

"No." Hinata did not know how she had gathered the courage to speak up out of her turn. She was looking at her palm, where the bandage, now a very dirty one, was still neatly knotted. "We had to leave early," she continued, finally raising her eyes to look at her relatives. "He had no time to pass the scrolls to me. But he gave me something else..."

With a blush, she took the wooden box from her bag and placed it in front of her, opening it so her interlocutors could see the insides of it. She took the letter and handed it to her father. Hiashi needed only a short glance at the letters and returned the paper to her delight. She actually wanted to keep it...

He then moved his eyes to the desert rose. All were silent for a moment, but a sudden shock ran through their faces when the rose turned into dust, spreading on the floor.

Hinata watched as her precious gift disassembled, spreading on the wooden floor evenly, thwn gazed as it slowly started moving, turning in letters, the same writing as in the letter. This had to be a small part of Gaara's special chakra-enhanced sand...

When the letters finally arranged, Hiashi stood up and read out loud:

"_**Hyuuga clan,**_

_**I am aware I have not kept my promise.**_

_**Send someone back to Suna so you can take what is yours.**_

_**A deal is a deal." **_

As soon as the man stopped reading, the sand flew in the air and rearranged in the wooden box back to the beautiful desert rose. Hinata took a look at the beautiful sculpture lying in the red velvet and hurried to put it back in her bag. Her father didn't notice, too preoccupied in thinking.

"Hinata," Hiashi finally turned to the girl, still standing. She felt the need to stand up too. "Why did you leave Suna in such a hurry?"

"I am not sure," she gulped, playing with the zipper of her jacket. "The Hokage did not say a thing..."

"It does not matter," her father interrupted. "Neji."

He waited for the boy to stand up. The Heiress watched as her cousin gazed at her, then shifted his white eyes to the Clan leader.

"You and Hinata will leave Konoha in two days, together with Hanabi. The three of you will go to Suna to retrieve the scrolls and will head back as soon as possible."

"My apologies, uncle, but should you not consider this with the Hokage?"

Hiashi shifter his pose, obviously annoyed.

"After the Uchiha managed to kill all that remained of Konoha's elder council, I was assigned on their place, along with Tsunade and Shikaku. We have as much power as the Uzumaki boy, if not more. When I say you leave, you leave with no questions."

Neji bowed slightly, apologizing, and sat down. Hinata was still not used of seeing him in the ANBU uniform, but it suited him well.

"Hinata," her father turned to her once more, startling her. "Make sure you will not disappoint me again."

The man turned around and, along with the Hyuuga elders, exited the room, leaving the girl and her cousin silently dwelling on what was going on...

...

**_Note:_**

_I realize this chapter is quite short, but I really had not much inspiration, having Gaara out of the picture. :D_

_I also wanted to make a longer chapter with a bit more information of what is going on in Konoha and how things have changed after the war, but again, had not much inspiration for that, so it will have to wait._

_I hope you are not too disappointed, and to make it up to you, I promise that from next chapter there will be enough Gaara-sama for everyone :D_

_Please feel free to review. I had a grumpy, hateful review that actually inspired me for something big, so please understand how much your opinion matters to me :)_

_Thank you again for all your support, you help my messy life become a bit more fun :) I'll try to update soon._


	11. Chapter 11

And yet, another sleepless night was unfolding before Hinata. She lied on her side, her bed feeling strangely hard and uncomfortable. And in front of her was the wooden box, the sand masterpiece resting in the red velvet. She had read the letter at least a hundred times and now knew it by heart.

She could feel his chakra. She didn't notice it before, but it was now so vividly obvious, she couldn't believe this was the first time it attracted her attention. A small part of Gaara's energy was now pulsing in the sculpture. And it was somehow... cold. As if some kind of sadness was filling the small box. She raised her hand and touched the present, afraid not to damage it.

And when her finger landed on the hard surface, she felt the pounding of the energy inside much better. It was starting to beat faster and was getting stronger. She nearly gasped when she felt a shiver going up her palm, disappearing little after her elbow.

The man was strong. He was powerful and frightening. And yet he managed to make something so gentle and beautiful with his best weapon, his special sand.

This was more than a nice gift. The girl realized that this was a gift not many people would do. And yet she couldn't figure out why the Kazekage had done such a thing...for her.

...

She woke up on the next morning by her sister rushing in her room.

Hanabi had always been very serious and keen on achieving her goals. She was better than the Heiress in every possible way. She was a better fighter, a better strategic and a very suitable heir of the Hyuuga clan.

The young girl was confident ever since she was little. She always knew she was better than her older sister and that gave her the attitude she had. Besides, the two Hyuuga sisters didn't talk much. Hinata loved her sibling, but there was barely any connection between them. Hanabi was ashamed of her sister and loved to prove herself stronger and better than her. And Hinata rarely had anything to say to her sister anyway. She knew it was her fault she was not a worthy heir. And she knew her clan had the full right to remind her of that daily.

"Wake up already," exclaimed the girl, pulling the sheets out of the bed.

Hinata's heart stopped as the still opened box flew in the air, but she managed to catch it just in time, before it crashed on the floor.

Her sibling rolled her eyes. "Come on, we are leaving." And she stormed out of the room.

The heiress didn't remember falling asleep. She looked at the rose one more time and hurried to put it in her bag. It seemed to calm her and she could really use something like this on a mission with her sister and cousin.

The sun was not yet up when the three Byakugan users left Konoha. They made sure not to make a sound, as instructed by Hiashi, no one had to know they had left.

...

After traveling all day, Neji had finally decided to let them take a break. Little before sunset, Hinata crashed on the ground, feeling the soft grass beneath her. They had chosen a small clearing in the woods to camp and she watched as her cousin reluctantly agreed to spar with Hanabi.

Hinata gazed at them with pride, but with sadness too. She watched as they used all kind of techniques and movements. She had learned much during the war and had become strong to the point that her own father, the leader of her clan, congratulated her when she saved Naruto. She had developed a technique on her own, using her own chakra to suppress others energy and sustain it if needed. Many Hyuuga tried to copy it with no success, this including her younger sibling.

And yet, the Heiress envied Hanabi. She wanted to be able to move like her, to fight like her, to think like her. But with the years she was so used to the fact that this would never happen, no matter how much she trained, that she managed to give up and stop thinking about it. She had never wanted to be the Hyuuga Heiress anyway. She would be proud if her little sister took her place as the new leader in a few years.

...

Neji was wide awake when he heard the noise. The two girls were sleeping when he heard someone slowly approaching their camp. He jumped on his feet, ready to attack. He activated his Byakugan...

And there was no one. He spun on his heels, but could not detect anyone in the next two kilometers. But he still could hear the steps, sense the movement. What was going on?

In a few moments Hanabi jumped out of her tent, followed by Hinata. Due to their training, they all had sensed the intruder and now worked as a team. The Heiress rushed to her cousin, only to get between him and her sister, both turning their backs on her and spinning around, checking the surroundings. They were protecting her.

They were silent. The intruder seemed to have stopped and they could feel him watch them. And in a while, it seemed he gave up, because all of a sudden the presence disappeared completely, leaving them serious and tense. _What was that?_

...

None of them slept. Not even the rose could calm the Heiress. They barely waited for the sky to get a bit brighter, packed and left their camp. They decided to travel without a stop, until they reached Suna. They were only one day away and did not want to risk any strange encounters due to laziness.

And indeed, they traveled in complete silence, running through the tick trees. Only a few hours after the sun had appeared above the horizon, did they reach the desert. The sand was slowing them down, the hear was exhausting them, but they could not risk it. All of the Hyuugas felt someone watching and tracking them and being in the open sand fields did not provide them with comfort. If anything, it only made them more vulnerable.

And finally, after hours of restless running, walking and crawling, the giant cliff that was the gate to Suna appeared before them. The sun had set as they passed through, only to be welcomed by a dozen of ANBU guards.

"Welcome", announced Temari, her eyes checking each and every one of them. It was obvious how tired they were, and she could not miss the worry in her eyes. "Do you not have an escort?"

"We are **her** escort," snapped Hanabi, pointing at her sister.

"To leave three Hyuugas traveling alone, two of which do not carry the Cursed Seal, is in every way reckless. I know your leader sent you with urgency, but..."

"Do not question the orders of my father." Hanabi was getting angry. She took a step further and tried her best to gaze straight in the eyes of the woman, despite the difference in height. The Kazekage's sister held her breath for a second, biting her tongue, trying not to slap the little brat. In a moment she managed to calm down and just rolled her eyes. She motioned for the newcomers to follow her.

Hinata was the first one to enter the streets of Suna, being most aware of the city of the others from her group. She stared at her feet and listened as the villagers whispered around her. She did not miss that Neji and Hanabi also noticed the people, and stared at the Heiress. She was sure that this visit was going to be as worse as possible... If it could get any worse than this.

"Hinata-sama," started Temari, turning to her when they finally reached the spherical building. "I know you are very tired, but Gaara requested your presence. Please take your time to refresh, but meet him as soon as possible. He will be waiting for you."

The girl only managed to nod. She silently obeyed as the guards led her to the room she was given the previous time she was here, and watched as her two relatives were led to the floor beneath her to the common visitor rooms.

But she could get used to this. The view and the whole little apartment she was given was marvelous. Especially the bed... The wide, soft, extremely comfortable bed that was somehow calling her now...

With the last drop of strength, she got to it, and crashed on it, her face burying in the soft pillow. She was going to take just few minutes to relax and was going to hear to the office of the Kazekage in just a few...

...

Gaara was informed that the Hyuugas had arrived much earlier than expected, and only three of them. He had asked his sister to request the heiress to come to his office, but was starting to doubt if Temari had actually managed to obey. She was strangely distracted these days...

And when midnight finally passed, he started getting anxious. He listened, but heard no noises in the whole building. Even the guards were dismissed hours ago.

He could not take it anymore and finally headed out of his office. He headed to the stairs, passed the floor where his apartment was and stopped only when he got to the dark wooden door. He hesitated. In a second he managed to hear the muffled, irregular breathing coming from the other side of the door.

He was the Kazekage and was free not to knock on doors if he didn't want to. Instead, he slowly opened it and peaked inside.

"Hyuuga-san," he said, his voice almost a whisper. But there was no response. Instead, he gazed at the dark room only to see the raven-haired kunoichi lying on the bed, seemingly dead.

She was clearly breathing, but that didn't convince him she was alright. He closed the door behind him, approaching her. When he finally got to the bed, he lowered his face to gaze upon her.

Hinata's face was barely visible. He was used to the dark, but her hair was curtaining it in a way that made him feel strange. He felt that strange urge to touch it, move it so he can examine her better. And this time he could not stop himself. Slowly, his fingers pressed to the satin strands of hair and lifted them, adjusting them nicely. Her long lashes trembled as her eyes moved under her eyelids. Her lips parted, she was almost panting. And Gaara could recognize what was wrong with her now. He was absolutely aware of this state.

She had passed out.

Feeling some strange excitement, he made his way through the kitchen part, pouring cold water in a glass. He then headed back to the girl, turned on a small lamp and sat on the bed next to her.

Cold was always the way of getting a person out of this situation. He held the crystal glass in his hand, waiting for his palm to cool as much as possible. Then, he gently placed it on her forehead. The leader of Suna watched as the girl's eyebrows knitted. Then her face relaxed and she slowly opened her eyes.

...

Her head hurt, it pounded to the point of her wanting to scream. She was a bit frustrated, not knowing where she was at first. Then she remembered. She was in the Village hidden in the Sand again. And the Kazekage was staring right at her.

She blinked, trying to chase away the dream, but his face only got clearer this way. In the dim light she could clearly see the man sitting on her bed, wearing his usual formal deep red clothes that only made the redness of his hair only appear...

And then panic hit her. The girl jumped up, almost knocking the water out of his hand. She then managed to somehow not fall from the bed and was about to run away, if the sharp pain in head did not remind her of how awful she actually felt. She sat on her heels, hiding most of her face in her palms.

Gaara took the time to let her calm down. And when she finally did, he decided it was safe to speak now.

"Cold water always helps," he mentioned, his voice still low. He watched as she peeked between her fingers, only now noticing the glass in his hand. He slowly passed it to her and with trembling fingers, she gratefully accepted it.

Just like a frightened animal, he thought. He needed not to make any harsh movements or startle her too much, he had to keep his voice calm and low in order for her not to run away. She was... interesting.

"I..." She finally spoke, but was unable to continue.

"You don't have to say anything, Hinata-san. I was only returning the favor." Gaara slowly raised his hand and tucked the hair, curtaining her face behind her ear. This did not seem to startle the girl as much as he thought it would. "We will speak tomorrow. Now rest."

Hinata watched as the man stood up from her bed and exited the room. Still holding the now empty glass, she was not sure what was happening to her. _Since when was someone... nice to her?_

_...  
_

_**Note:**  
_

_Hey all! Thank you for your support and extreme kindness, taking your time to review. It makes me really happy :)_

10 points to whoever managed to discover the Daft Punk references in this chapter :D ( I am not sure what hit me, it seems I am just in a good mood.)

I really hope you'd like this chapter. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or would like to see something in particular happen. I love requests.

I'll try my best to update soon :)  



	12. Chapter 12

And, of course, this was another sleepless night for the Hyuuga Heiress.

But this time she did not even try to get any rest, she didn't want to. Lying in the most comfortable bed in the world, her mind was full of frustration and... excitement? Hinata touched her hair, remembering the sensation of the Kazekage's fingers fixing it behind her ear. Why was she feeling as if something was flying in her stomach?

The sun was rising and she watched Suna's sky turn yellow, then orange, then red. Simply marvelous. She did not want to get up, but knew she had to soon go to the office just a few floors above. And as if to mock her, someone started banging on the door so hard, she nearly fell on the floor.

"C-come in..." she managed to exclaim, trying to regain her gravity.

Hanabi burst in the room, slamming the door behind her. She walked straight to her sister and stopped just an inch from her face. The girls were staring at each other for a while, when the younger one finally spoke.

"Have you slept with that maniac?"

Hinata blinked. "What?"

"Don't play dumb. I was training in the city and heard too many people confirm it. Do you realize..."

"Hanabi," Hinata's voice suddenly became calm, but cold. She stood up, gently shifting her sister out of her way. "Have you come here to insult me?"

The younger girl stared at her sister's back. She hated it when she acted like this. As is she was... Superior... "I just want a straight answer."

"I have not done such a thing," the Heiress finally turned around and faced the teenager.

"Then why are people..."  
"Because they can," interrupted Hinata. "Because people always talk. You should know this best, growing up in the Hyuuga clan."

Both of them kept silent for a moment. They bitterly recalled the constant rumors that spread in the Clan. This was not too different. Hanabi finally settled not to speak of this, but looked at the other girl with distrust. She was going to monitor her closely from now on, especially when she was so close to the red-haired creep. Without saying a word, the younger sister turned around and left the room.

Hinata sighed. She sat on her bed, her hands shaking. The only way she could speak to the young girl was if she showed her superiority, and she hated doing this, acting as if she could give her orders. She was not such a person and did not deserve her sister's respect... The girl started playing with the zipper of her jacket and stared at her feet. It was probably time for her to meet the Kazekage...

* * *

Neji met the sunrise on a cliff. He had climbed the rocks using his chackra, and had waited in the dark, sitting, his feet crossed in a meditation pose.

He did not like this village. It was too windy, too dusty and all the sand was always getting in his eyes, his main weapon. He could not risk it, guarding the two heirs of the Leader family. He watched as the sun gazed upon the land, touching the ground with the strangest colors. The sky had never been like that in Konoha. Never so red...

He stood up and stretched. He missed TenTen. This was the worst time he could be away from her, and there he was, three days away on a weird mission. Besides, he had a strange feeling. And his intuition was never wrong. Every time he looked at the Heiress, he saw concern in her eyes that was too strange to be her normal shyness.

A sudden drift sent a wave of sand in his face. He cursed, coughed and rubbed his eyes. Yes, he definitely hated this place.  
The Hyuuga hurried to get down and headed to the center of the village, where the spherical building was. He did not miss how people looked at him, neither did he fail to notice the whispers.

_This explains a lot_, he thought, clenching his fists. He finally reached the said building and did not hesitate to head to the floor above his room. And just in time. Hinata was leaving her apartment-space. She seemed a bit startled by the sudden appearance of her cousin.

Neji had changed much over the years. He was quite taller than Hinata now. His hair was as long as ever, neatly tied on the back of his neck. His shoulders, usually broad, now looked even wider with the ANBU girl smiled. She was honored to have him as her brother.

"Hinata-sama," he started, sounding a bit frustrated. "Can I speak to you please?"

He watched her as she closed her eyes and staid like this for a second. "Yes, come in," she answered and walked back in the room.

The man followed her, but staid by the door, resting his back on it. It was not custom for the branch families to enter the personal chambers of anyone of the Leading family, if not given strict orders. And still, even if this was only her temporary room, even after she begged him to go in and sit, he did not want to. He had his principles.

"Hinata-sama," he started again, gazing at her. Her eyes had a light purple color, but looked very tired. "Are you not feeling well?"

And honestly, she was surprised by the question. She was sure he was going to ask her the same thing her sister had.

"I..." But unfortunately, he was not someone she could pour her soul at. Her cousin was very serious and took things too personal. He always had been overprotective of her, and she understood why. But still, she decided to keep her feelings for her own."I am just a bit tired."

The man nodded, but did not move neither his eyes off of her, nor his body from the door.

"There is something you are not telling me."

"I..." she started and looked at her feet. "I... It is just... personal."

"Hinata-sama... I heard what people were whispering on the streets of this... village." She widened her eyes, shock on her face, so he hurried to clarify. "I am aware that none of it is true. Do not let any of this get to you. We will retrieve the scrolls today and be out of here by sunset."

She nodded and saw him relax. It seemed he really didn't enjoy being on this mission. And she... She actually... Didn't want to leave. "I have to meet the Kazekage."

"Would you want me to accompany you?"

_No! _"Yes, please."

Neji then opened the door and waited for her to pass him to close it. Together, they climbed the huge stairs and soon were in front of the office, guarded by four ANBU guards. They only took a look at them, and let them pass. The man knocked on the door. A low "come in" was heard from inside. And suddenly, Hinata didn't want to go in any more. She felt her stomach feel strangely light, her head was spinning and she was losing her breath. As if... almost as if she was eleven all over again, and was meeting Naruto in school...

But to her surprise, all these feelings went numb as soon as she walked through the door. She froze, seeing Gaara in his usual position, chin resting on his knotted fingers, and Hanabi, standing in front of him, her fists clenched, pressed against the large wooden desk.

"Hanabi," she started, trying to figure out what was going on.

"This guy," interrupted the girl, "is refusing to give me the scrolls! Have you not agreed with my clan to return them?"

But the younger sister could not say anything more. It was obvious how much the Kazekage was scaring her, and it seemed that he was enjoying her horror. He stood up, causing her to jump back, her feet hitting the arm-chair behind her. She fell in it, sitting, looking at the man in front of her.

"Hanabi," Hinata started again, resting her palm on her sister's shoulder. "Calm down." She then turned to the red-haired man and forced a smile. It was hard to show emotion to someone that had such a serious face, but, to her delight, she noticed his features get milder. She bowed lightly, greeting the man, and he returned a slight nod. "Kazekage-sama, it is an honor to be here again..."

Gaara seemed a bit calmer now. He took his place on his huge chair again and stared at the three Hyuugas. He had seen the man before, during the war. He was aware of how strong he was and was glad that he was accompanying Hinata. On the other hand, the little girl seemed to be only a nuisance, her temper being worse than Naruto's.

"Thank you all for coming here in such a short notice," Suna's leader started. "I am actually surprised that it took you so little time to reach our village. I hope your trip was safe." But he could not miss the tension in their faces. He also did not enjoy the fact that the younger girl was sitting in the arm chair, making the Hairess stand. At least the Hyuuga man, Neji, from what he recalled, had his manners and was standing near the door.

"Will you give us the scrolls or not?" Hanabi was restless.

"I can clearly see you are from the Hyuuga clan, young girl," Gaara, on the other hand, was getting irritated, "but why would I hand this strongly important piece of information to you?"

The girl jumped to her feet, clenching her fists. Hinata's palm was still resting on her shoulder, but now she had to put some force into it, stopping her sister from jumping on the desk.

"I am Hyuuga Hanabi, daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, leader of the Hyuuga Clan."

The Kazekage stared at her, not moving his piercing green eyes off her face. "And how does this make you eligible to bear the ancient scrolls?"

"I..."

"Are you your clan's heiress?"

"No, but..."

"Are you not going to receive a cursed seal in only a few years?" This time the girl kept silent, staring angrily at her feet. "Then I would like to discuss the matter with the Heiress. You will be called when you are needed."

Neji nodded and hurried to open the door. He motioned for his younger cousin to follow him. He did not enjoy the thought of leaving Hinata alone with this man, but what other choice did he have? Hanabi finally spun on her heels and flew out of the room. The Hyuuga lost her from sight, but this didn't matter now. He hurried inside his room, activated his Byakugan and concentrated on the image he was seeing. Hinata was just taking place in the arm-chair in front of the desk.

* * *

"I am sorry... My sister..."

"You do not need to apologize, Hyuuga-san."

Both kept silent for a moment. She as starting to feel her cheeks burn painfully, and his gaze was not helping her.

"Thank you... for your gift," she finally managed to mumble.

"The rose?" She nodded. "Did you like it?"

"It is beautiful... But... Isn't it made of your special sand?"

"It is indeed," the Kazekage confirmed and shot a glance at the big gourd in the corner behind him, filled with the chakra-enhanced material.

"I actually... brought it back. I figured that, since the message was delivered to my Clan, it will be best is I return it to you."

The man did not answer. He was not taking his eyes of her, and now looked a bit... _disappointed?_

"Hinata," she actually shivered when he spoke her name, not sure why. "The reason I gave you this gift, was because I was well aware of the troubles I caused when you had to leave Suna so instantly last time. And how damaging all the rumors could be for you."

"Kazekage-sama... I have grown up in such conditions that... I really barely notice the rumors anymore..."

"I see... Well, I would still like you to keep it."

Gaara was well aware that it was not very appropriate for him to give her a gift that was made mainly of his chakra. This way he could sense the woman every time she was near it, and it seemed that she was quite attached to the desert rose, because he could feel her own chakra almost all the time. Maybe he had to tell her? _Or maybe not._

"Gaara-sama, can I ask you something," the girl tried to break the awkward silence to avoid any hyperventilation.

"Of course."

"I thought... Something had happened in Konoha. But all seems fine there. Why did we have to leave Suna so urgently last week?"

The man continued to keep silent. He looked at her, wondering whether or not to quote his blond friend. If he did, this would probably hurt her a lot. And yet, he decided to tell her the truth.

"Naruto and I got in a fight. I banished him from Suna."

He watched Hinata's eyes widen. Her lips parted and the redness of her face disappeared. She blinked.

"Why," was all she could say.

"Because he..." and he sighed. "Because I overreacted. I have yet to apologize to him. This is actually something I wanted to speak to you about. Can I ask you to deliver a message to him?"

"Y-yes, of course..."

A smile, barely noticeable smile appeared on his lips, and was gone before she could confirm it has ever been there.

"I have yet to write the message, though. I would have it done soon. And as for the scrolls," he stood up and went around the desk, now standing right in front of the Heiress. "I will pass them to you tomorrow. I would actually like to spend more time with you."

Hinata froze. She watched him take her palm, examining it. She remembered the cut it had, now only a mere scar. He traced it with his pointer finger.

"You heal quickly."

"Y-yes..." And she did not move. She couldn't. She... could not risk interrupting, as he was too busy returning the hair behind her ear.

"Breakfast is prepared for you. We will meet soon."

* * *

_**Note:**_

_Hi everyone. I am sorry with the delay of this chapter, I actually needed some time to think how I want the next few chapters to be._

_I really hope this one had enough Gaara :D I had a few requests, all of them amazing, and I will actually try getting them in the next chapter. _

_Thank you once again for all your support and reviews. This really inspires me and helps me write more :) _

_Tell me what you think ;)_


	13. Chapter 13

Hinata was sating at the paper in her hands. This time the letter from the Kazekage was not delivered by an ANBU guard, but by Kankuro.

"_I believe you know where my living room is._

_I will be waiting for you there._

_Gaara."_

"So?"

She looked at the man. The purple paint was making him look vicious, but he actually had nice features. And yet, somehow, even though they were brothers, she didn't see a single part of the red-haired man in him.

"I..." She did not know what to do. After her meeting with Suna's leader, she had gone to her room and had taken a shower. Her hair was still damp. _Oh, what the hell!_ "Please inform him I will be there shortly."

The man rolled his eyes. It was obvious he did not enjoy being a messenger, but hurried to bow lightly and headed to the floor above.

_Now what?_ The Heiress closed the door behind her and hurried to sit on the floor, her head was spinning too much and she did not want to injure herself again. Her heart was not going to make it if Gaara ended up aiding her wounds again... In a few minutes she was able to get up and make it to her bed. What was she going to wear anyway? Was this an official meeting, was she going to represent her Clan and discuss the matter with the scrolls, or was this... _something else?_

She couldn't think straight. She took her bag and emptied it on her bed. And, to her surprise, it didn't take her too long to pick her outfit. She wore the same clothes all the time anyway. She put on a pair of black pants that went to her ankles and a matching tank top. She hurried to get her usual jacket on and zipped it to the top. Checking the reflection in the mirror didn't help her feel better. Her damp hair was stuck on her face and made her skin only appear paler. And her white eyes only made her look like a ghost even more. If only she had eyes like Sakura's... That light green that made her feel so calm and nice...

She suddenly realized she was not thinking of the pink-haired girl's eyes anymore and blushed deeply. At least now there was some redness in her face. She could not look better, nor look worse, so she just tucked the wet hair behind her ears and hurried to the upper floor.

* * *

"What the hell is this?"

Hanabi opened the breakfast that was delivered in her room by Temari herself and almost threw the ramen on the floor. "How am I supposed to eat this?"

"And how am I supposed to know what you like to eat?" _you little brat_, finished the blond woman in her head.

"This is fine, Temari-san," started Neji and bowed lightly to her.

"No, it is not..." But one look was needed for the young Hyuuga girl to understand she needed to shut up. She was the one that had to give the orders to her cousin, but he had such a serious look that she decided it would be best just to stuff the disgusting food in her mouth. "Where is Hinata anyway?!" She finally asked when Temari was no longer in the room.

"I don't know," answered the man and looked at the ceiling, activating his Byakugan.

_This is bad. This is really bad._

* * *

The ANBU guards met her at the front door of Gaara's apartment and hurried to let her in. The two masked men also accompanied her to the living room and opened the door for her.

The Kazekage was reading a book. The table, filled with all kinds of dishes and treats, was also covered in documents and paperwork. He was a busy man. And yet he took his time to stand up when she entered the room, looking at her from top to bottom. He quickly dismissed the guards and got back to staring at her.

"Thank you for accepting my invitation."

_Did I have a choice?_ "And thank you for inviting me, Kazekage-sama." The girl looked around the room and noticed something. The table was somehow switched with a smaller one, and most of the chairs were gone, leaving only two.

But before she could sit on the vacant one, the man went out of his place, all the way to the other side of the table and pulled the chair, motioning for her to sit. The Heiress blinked and needed some time before she started thinking again. She finally went to the place and sat down, blushing due to the sensation of his hands adjusting the furniture behind her.

Gaara shortly returned to his place and closed his book, putting away all the papers.

"I apologize for the mess. Temari always scolds me for bringing my work to the table."

"I... It's not a problem. I hope you have not... waited for me too long?"

And to her utmost surprise, he smiled.

"I would wait as much as needed when it comes to enjoying your company."

The Hyuuga blushed again. She was not used to anyone making her such compliments...

"I am sorry," the man continued. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Hinata-san"

"N-no, I j-just... Thank you." She smiled and decided to pour herself tea, but her hands were shaking. Just before she spilled the liquid over herself, a wave of sand flew and covered her fingers, helping her grasp the kettle better.

"Be careful, it's quite hot."

Blushing to the point of being sure she was now changing colors, she managed to put the teapot down and mumble a slight 'thank you'. The girl watched as the sand returned to the giant gourd in the corner of the room.

"I can assure you I did not get any in the food."

And she couldn't help it but smile. "I am sure."

Then they fell silent. Gaara was sipping from what seemed to be a mug of coffee and was watching her closely. She couldn't eat with so much attention towards her. And the small-talk was not helping the situation.

"Hinata-san, I was wondering if, having in mind that you know him better, you would help me write the letter to Naruto."

She blinked. So this was why she was here. Not sure why she was feeling disappointed, she smiled lightly. For some reason, every time he spoke her name, she felt the urge to do whatever he wanted...

"I would love to help..."

She then watched as the man pulled a piece of paper, a long black feather and an ink-pot, filled with blood-red liquid. He dabbed the nib in it and looked at her.

"Let's see... Dear Naruto,

I have been thinking of our last encounter and have to admit one thing.

I overreacted. Please accept my apologies." Gaara then raised his pale-green eyes and looked at her. It seemed he was out of words and was waiting for any suggestions from her.

"I do believe that if the matter is so serious, it will be best if you two meet and make peace between each other in person."

"You are absolutely right." He then dabbed the end of the feather in the red ink and continued writing.

"I would like to meet with you so we can clear things out. Please inform me of a suitable date, time and place for the meeting to take place.

I will be awaiting your reply.

Gaara"

Hinata smiled. "It sounds perfect."

"It does. I have been trying to write it for days, but could not arrange my words. It seems your presence inspires me." He then folded the paper and put it away, getting back to his coffee. He watched her face change all possible shades of the red and then, when finally a stable redness settled on her features, he decided it was safe to continue.

"Hinata, can you tell me what your relations with the Hokage are?"

And to his surprise, all the color disappeared from her face. Pale and with her eyes widened, she let go of her cup, afraid she would spill the tea.

"W-why are you asking?"

"I will be honest. I have been interested in you ever since the war. But last time you came to Suna was actually the first time I had the chance to interact with you. And it seemed that Naruto was not enjoying this."

She couldn't think straight. All of a sudden the Kazekage was telling her he had been... stalking her? "I grew up with Naruto and he is just... very protective."

"This is exactly what I thought. But he did not seem to act like that."

"I apologize but... I think you are mistaking. We are... only friends."

"This is what he told me too. But, you see, he does not act like 'just a friend' to you. The reason I banned him from here was because, when I explained my interest in you, he freaked out."

And this was it. Hinata's brain went numb, her ears were ringing, her head spinning. If what the man in front of her was saying was true... Than Naruto... He actually liked her? And what was worse, Gaara of the Desert, the psychotic maniac, the monster and murderer as she knew him, was expressing is intentions toward her directly.

The room was quiet. She could see the green eyes stuck on her, and had no idea how to react. And this was supposed to be just a slightly awkward breakfast...

She suddenly felt it was hard to breathe. And yet, she was not a little girl anymore! She was angry at herself for falling in this condition again, but had no idea how to stop it.

And then she felt her chair being moved. Gaara had left his place and was in front of her now. He knelt so his face could be on the same height as hers.

"Hinata. Try to breathe." But he wasn't helping. She was clenching her ribs, feeling tears pool in her eyes. She wanted to run away, to cry. Her chest hurt like hell and she felt she was about to faint any time soon. _She was pathetic..._

And right when she could not hate herself more, she felt being pulled.

* * *

Gaara had not the slightest idea what to do to make her feel better. He watched her struggle to keep calm, but failed. She was strong and did not give up easily, but her body just did not want to obey.

_Maybe I went too far with my confessions_, he thought, feeling the need to kick himself. He watched as she suddenly clenched her chest. She was hyperventilating. Within a second, he was already in front of her. He pulled her chair so he could face her and knelt down to see her better.

"Hinata, try to breathe," he said, but watched as this only made things worse. He had definitely gone too far. He was aware that she would just faint eventually, but still, he felt guilty for causing her such a pain.

He rose a little and pulled her shoulders. Gaara wrapped his arms around her. Hugging her, he felt strange. He did not know why he had done this but it was... _nice_. Hinata was still breathing hard. "Just breathe."

* * *

She felt his arms around her, one wrapped around her waist and the other on her back, dug in her hair. Her face rested on his chest and his scent was somehow calming her down. He smelled like sand, warmth and summer.

And she was confused. Was he taking advantage of her, or just trying to help? And was she too shocked to move, or was she actually enjoying his touch?

She was frustrated. All this was too complicated for her. She wanted to forget Naruto, and all of a sudden she understood he supposedly liked her? She was interested in the man hugging her, but was extremely afraid of him in the same time.

And before she could stop herself, before she could do anything, she felt the tears start pouring from her eyes. She was a mess, a crying mess in the hands of a stranger.

But this stranger was gentle. He only wrapped her in his arms tighter. She cried and cried, digging her fingers in his shirt, pressing her shaking body into his chest. He stroked her hair, mumbling something she could not understand. But his voice was soothing, the sound of his murmur was calming her down.

Eventually she stopped sobbing and just rested in his arms. And he did not let go. _He did not want to ever let go..._

* * *

_**Note:**  
_

_Hi all! I apologize, for it took me some time to write this chapter. I was completely out of inspiration and had no idea how I want things to go with this disaster of a breakfast.  
_

_I would love to know what you think, and don't hesitate to let me know if you want me to change things.  
_

_And a sneak-peek - Neji will be angry in the next chapter :D_

Hope you enjoy it. :)


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hello all,_**

_I am sorry that it took me so much time to continue this chapter. I lacked inspiration but it suddenly came back again._

_I may change the type of the story, as I intend to make a bit more serious and mature. Please be advised that this chapter might contain some disturbing moments. Nothing much though._

_Tell me what you think :) And sorry for this one being to long, will make the next ones shorter._

* * *

It felt like an hour had passed when she finally managed to calm down.

She was used to crying, and to cry herself to sleep was something very natural to her. But this was different. It was not natural in any way. It was awkward and frustrating.

She pulled away from the man and looked at the green eyes staring at her. She knew neither what to do, nor how to move. Frozen, she only looked at him, still feeling tears rolling down her cheeks.

Gaara was kneeling in front of her. He looked very plain without the gourd on his back or the Kage cloak on. He almost seemed... _Human..._

"Why are you crying, Hinata?"

His voice took her out of the daze she was in. She blinked, wiped the tears off her face and tried to pull away further, but he was holding her by her shoulders. She felt that her body was still shaking, the probable reason for him to be supporting her like that.

"I... I..." But she was still sobbing. She couldn't say anything, and she wanted to say so much.

This man had just told her he... liked her... And that Naruto liked her too. But where did all this come from, how come her world was suddenly falling apart like that?

And most importantly – was this the reason why she was called by the Kazekage in Suna? Was this why the red-haired man had "missed" to give her the scrolls the last time she visited the village? And... What did he intend to do?

Hinata looked at his eyes again, this time realizing much more.

He was interesting. He was exotic, unnatural, and much different than most boys she knew. She liked him. But he did not have any boundaries, such as every self-respected man should have. And he was the Kazekage – this had to mean he was more distant from people. But he wasn't. He didn't care if he was standing too close to her, if he touched her, and although he had not done anything wrong, the Heiress felt the need to slap his hands off of her.

And yet, she really liked him. But she was also scared of him. He was so very interesting, she held her breath every time he gazed upon her with these gorgeous light green eyes. Buts much as she was hurt, and as much time had passed...

She still loved Naruto. And Gaara was nothing like him. What was she thinking?!

"I... – she started again, but this time with more confidence. – I apologize. – She regained herself and continued – I seem to be a bit too emotional these days."

The man looked at her for a few seconds and kept silent. He then stood up, still staring at her.

"It is not a problem, Hyuuga–san. If anything, it is a privilege to see you are so open in my presence."

But she was not. She was only unbalanced, easily frustrated and could start crying for seconds. She waited for him to return in his seat so she could continue.

"Kazekage-sama... Can we please go ahead and discuss the matter with the Hyuuga scrolls?"

Gaara seemed a bit surprised. "Was this not just a regular breakfast?"

"It... It is, of course. I greatly appreciate your invitation..."

"But?" He asked, placing his chin on his knotted fingers. He waited for her to find her words, as she was obviously uneasy.

"But... I am afraid I will have to apologize..."

"Did you reconsider your feelings for Naruto after what I told you?"

_God, he read her like an open book. _"No, - she lied. – It is just that... I am very frustrated and honestly... As much as I am grateful for your kindness..."

"I understand, - he concluded and looked away, staring through the huge window on his side. – I hope my words have not insulted you, Hyuuga-san. I tend to be too direct."

"I... No, I..."

"The scrolls you are interested are in my office. I'd gladly pass them to you, as promised to your father."

She watched his calm expression, finding it hard to read a face of someone that had no eyebrows. He was serious and did not seem too delighted in the current situation. Hinata looked at the door with the corner of her eye, feeling the sudden urge to run away.

"Please do not get me wrong – the man continued, returning his gaze on her, - but when I am interested in something or someone, I do not like to waste time. Regrettably, I am not very good in expressing my intentions."

"I... I really understand..." She watched a faint smile curl the corner of his lips.

"I am sure you do. Anyway, thank you for joining me for breakfast. I will not require you to be here if you do not wish to stay."

The girl blinked. She knew it would probably be rude to leave now, but it seemed that aside of her, the man also wished to be alone at the moment and was advising her to leave in a very polite way. She stood up, holding the end of the table for balance just in case.

"Thank you, Gaara-sama. I will come to collect the scrolls from your office later, it that is not a problem..."

"Not at all. You are welcome at any time."

She watched him turn to the window again, sipping from his coffee. She bowed and hurried to leave.

* * *

Neji was not sure what had happened, but was relieved to see Hinata return to her room in a hurry. He knew his cousin. She had always been too kind, too nice and people had often taken advantage of her because of this. He traced her with his Byakugan to her room, but deactivated it as soon as she entered her chamber. He was not one to invade her privacy.

Unlike his other cousin. Hanabi was waiting for her sister in his room, still chewing on the morning breakfast with disgust. As soon as she saw Hinata leave the Kazekage's place, also using her kekkei genkai, she hurried and soon was banging on her sister's door.

Bored, Neji activated his gift once more and stared into the ceiling. He saw the younger girl speak, she waved her arms, obviously unhappy. He then saw the Heiress reply with a few words and watched her close the door in her sister's face.

This was not natural for Hinata. Was she upset? Something had happened. He had saw the man approach her and touch her, but had decided not to interfere. He knew the girl, and as shy as she was, she did not like someone evading her personal space and knew well enough how to fight off any intruders.

But he was getting worried. Was this man trying to get involved with the Hyuuga Heiress?

Neji watched as Hanabi returned to her own room and slammed the door. He had no idea how he would manage to keep things under control on this mission. He was very nervous himself... Without thinking about it too much, he exited his room and headed to the cliffs for some training, he needed to take his mind of this craziness...

* * *

Hinata lied in the huge bath tub in her Suna apartment and tried to relax. The warm water always helped her feel better. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she had the Water element. Or maybe it was just good for her nerves.

She had no idea how much time had passed. She had not eaten a thing and it was probably afternoon already, but she had no intentions of leaving her room yet. Besides, lying in there helped her think better. And she was thinking of Naruto.

He had ignored her since their young years and even after all she did for him, he never even said a word to her. This had hurt her to the point that she had decided to give up and embrace the fact that she will die alone and a disgrace to her family and clan. And then suddenly, it had turned out that two Kages supposedly wanted to get involved with her... At first she had thought that the leader of Suna was just nice and friendly, but upon her new findings, she was now more frustrated than ever...

And for her to let herself cry in front of him, the Kazekage, was a complete disgrace... She had to admit it though, somehow and for some reason, it felt nice being hugged... The only people that had ever done this in her life were her mother, sometimes Kiba, when he was really happy for a reason, and in rare occasions – Neji, when he had to carry her when she was hurt to the point of not being able to walk.

But this was different. It felt... _Nice?_ She was so frustrated! She liked Gaara, but still, she couldn't get herself involved with the red-haired man. She could never have anything with him. First of all, it was impossible for her to marry someone outside Konoha. The Byakugan was a gift passed through generations and it would be considered as a treason to the Clan and Village if she ever decided to spend her life and have family outside the place she was born.

Besides, she was the future leader of the Hyuuga clan. She could not risk disappointing her father. She would rather die... The girl remembered his green eyes and suddenly felt too warm.

She couldn't waste more time in this place. She got up, dried herself, untied her hair and quickly put her clothes on. Judging by the sun, it seemed to be mid afternoon when she left her room. Soon she was outside the Kazekage's office. The guards, obviously informed that the man was expecting her, let her in right away.

* * *

Gaara raised his eyes from his documents and watched her approach his desk. She sat on the chair adjacent to it and looked at him.

He was going to miss those white eyes with the lightest touch of violet in them. Also the hair that made him swoon, her lips, her hands...

"Have you come for the scrolls?"

"Yes," - she nodded.

"And are you leaving today?"

"Yes," – she confirmed again, still frustrated of how well he could read her.

"I understand..." The man then opened a drawer in his desk and took out a small backpack. He untied it and took out about a dozen scrolls with different sizes and colors. Some of them were even sealed. "This is all I could find. I only took a look at a few of them, to understand what they were. I figured out the rest of them belonged to your clan from the insignia."

"Thank you." Hinata took a small scroll and opened it. With a ugly handwriting, some strange techniques were described and she saw detailed instructions of how to perform them. She had no intention of reading them now. She put all of the papers back in the bag and looked at the man, feeling awkward.

"Are you leaving now?"

Hinata looked at her feet and started playing with her jacket's zipper. "Yes."

"I understand, - he said and also looked down for a moment. – I apologize for my behavior. Rarely do I have the opportunity of spending time with someone like you and I suppose I just could not think straight."

_Someone like her? What did he mean?_ "Please, do not worry. It is just that... My father expects the scrolls as soon as possible and I don't want to keep him waiting too long."

"Of course. And also – the Kage drew another piece of paper from his drawer – This is the letter to Naruto. Thank you again for accepting my request to hand it to him personally."

"It is a pleasure." Not sure why she used those exact words, she sighed at her frustration. They fell silent, staring at each other.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye then?" He asked.

"It is."

"Then, - he stood up – I have to admit, it was a pleasure seeing you again, Hinata."

Also standing, the girl took his extended hand and smiled. "Thank you for the kind invitation and for the nice time, Kazekage-sama."

"Please, call me Gaara."

She blushed. "Hai, Gaara-sama."

The man smiled. "Just Gaara."

She blushed even more. "Yes."

The man then walked around his desk and accompanied her to the door. He stopped just before opening it and gently took the hair, fallen in front of her face, and returned it behind her ear.

"I will miss you."

Frustrated, she could not answer, but, yet again, he read her well enough. He smiled at her flushed face and opened the door for her, biding her farewell with a wave.

He then returned back to his desk, and somehow felt... empty...

* * *

It took the Hyuugas just a few minutes to get ready. After the announcement from the Heiress that they are leaving, her escort happily embraced her command.

Hinata nicely packed the scrolls, along with the letter to Naruto and the desert rose Gaara had given her. She had decided to return it to him, but he had explained that he preferred for her to keep it. And she really liked the gift.

Some ANBU guards escorted the Byakugan users to the edge of the village and soon they were back in the desert again. It was late afternoon when they headed back to Konoha.

* * *

Since all of them remembered the possible intruders from when they were coming to Suna, they did not risk it and decided not to camp in the woods. Soon after the sun went down, they already felt tired, but didn't want to stop running.

And maybe this was their mistake. It was a few hours after midnight when they were attached. Their senses were dull from exhaustion and this caught them unprepared.

The first man jumped Hanabi, knocking her to the ground. The girl screamed and kicked, but with a simple bow, her body fell numb on the grassy floor.

Neji in Hinata, however, had training in fighting together. Pressing their backs together, they activated their kekkei genkai and rushed to where Hanabi lied, although the attackers didn't seem too interested in her.

The Heiress managed to kill two men using the Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists technique, but soon felt Neji disappear behind her. She watched as a man, huge as a bear, held him above him and threw him on the ground. She could not stop the rain of kunai that fell on her cousin and watched as he screamed in pain, but someone kicked him in the head, knocking him unconscious.

The three of them were strongly outnumbered. Hinata stood alone in a small clearing, counting at least 20 men with her Byakugan. She could feel someone close to her, but could not see him, just as the first time they had felt someone was watching them. These were shinobi, obviously sent to either kill them, or capture them. They were trained and they had waited in the woods for them to head back to Konoha.

Suddenly, Hinata felt someone grabb her right wrist, twisting it sharply. She heard a crackle and felt the sharp pain of her bone being broken. She tried to hit the attacker, but again, she saw no one, even with her gift activated. The same arm was then twisted again, this time dislocating it from the shoulder. With only one hand left, she tried the Gentle Fist technique on one of the men, causing immediate internal wounds. He fell on the ground and was soon dead.

But the other men were slowly approaching her. She could hear them mock her chances, but could not give up. Suddenly, her other wrist twisted and she felt as if it broke in half. The pain was excruciating. She screamed and this time managed to hit the invisible attacker. Unfortunately, she managed to only scratch him. She did not have any control on her fingers now, and just moving her left arm caused her head to spin.

The invisible man was visible now. A gross, ugly middle-aged man stood in front of her. He laughed at her and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her down. Before she could try to stand, he jumped on top of her and quickly dislocated her other shoulder. She tried to kick, but of no avail.

"Thinking you can fight me, little girl? – He yelled in her face and lowered himself, crushing her with his body. – You can't. Nor can you escape me. I think the boss will not be too mad if I take my time and... Have fun with you a bit..."

She could not move. She could not breathe. She could see Neji and Hanabi on the ground, covered in blood. And then she felt this disgusting man unzip her jacket, obviously happy with what he could see. Lowering himself again, he licked her neck, his slimy tongue tracing her collar bone.

This was it. All she had fought for was gone. It didn't matter anymore. She was going to die, or worse, be raped.

Hinata screamed as loud as she could. She screamed and kicked, but only to receive a fist in the face. The other attackers were laughing. This was the end...


	15. Chapter 15

_Hello all,_

_Thank you again for all your support and for the ever so kind words. You are amazing._

_**An important note:** This story will now be rated **"M"**. _

_I changed it from 'T' as I intend to change the plot a bit, making the story more serious. This might result in some specific moments, not suitable for 'T' rating._

_Please let me know if this is a problem for anyone._

_I'd love to know what you think of the new style, I believe the change is noticeable enough. :)_

* * *

Hinata couldn't breathe.

The pain in her arms, the man on top of her and the excruciating fear she was feeling were stiffening her. The air was knocked out of her lungs when she was thrown on the ground, but the most terrifying thing for her was the fact that she did not know if her siblings were... alive...

The girl tried to turn her face away from the man, currently trying to lick her lips and to check the two bodies just a few meters away, but with another punch, the man made her face him again. Fortunately, the blow in her blind eye caused a severe nausea and her head started spinning, her sight darkening to full blackness for a few moments.

_How could this happen?_ She had been involved in several fights, and fighting together with Neji was the simplest and nicest way she could kill and protect. But what was happening now? How did they come to this? She had experience in being outnumbered in a fight, so it was definitely not a matter of amount of attackers.

_The invisible man._ She had previously heard of a jutsu that could make a man disappear, but never thought she would see it with her own eyes... And this exact jutsu had caught them unprepared. The three of them were used in using their eyes in everything, but somehow this shinobi was able to block their Byakugan vision and to trick them into the worst trap she had ever been in.

All the thoughts were kicked out of her head when she felt his cold, disgusting hand reach under her jacket, under her shirt, touching her stomach. She tried to scream again, to kick him, but it seemed he was lying on top of her with his full weight. A punch in her throat brought back the nice nausea that took her out of this misery for a few moments, causing her not to be able to think straight. Then she noticed the laughter. The rest of the attackers had gathered around her, laughing at her helplessness, rooting for the man on top of her, giving him advise.

The zipper of her jacket was torn, exposing her shirt. It didn't take too long for the man to rip this part of clothing too, exposing her bra. The cold air made her shiver. The touch of those slimy hands made her want to throw up. She made a desperate attempt to use her hands, but only inflicted more pain upon herself. Not being able to scream any more, she only gasped deeply. This seemed to entertain the spectators, because the laughing and cheering got worse.

"Leave... her.. ALONE!"

Neji had somehow managed to get on his knees and was desperately trying to get up. He had multiple weapons embedded in his chest. He managed to take a few kunai and shuriken out, throwing them on the ground. The man took a fighting stance, activating his Byakugan to full force. Using the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Wall Palm technique, he managed to push away some of the men that charged at him. For a moment Hinata did not understand what had happened, but soon realized she could not see the man on top of her anymore. She couldn't feel him either.

_'Neji!'_, she tried to call, but her voice failed her. And soon she saw a slash, seemingly coming from nowhere, strike her cousin in the chest. A huge cut appeared in his already bloody uniform. He tried to find his attacker, but with one more blow he was again on the ground, gasping for air. His throat was torn. He was soon going to die. The Heiress couldn't let this happen.

With the last remaining strength, the girl stood up and swung around, creating a chakra vortex that seemed to suck the invisible man off the wounded Hyuuga. Then, with a simple blow, a kunai struck the back of her knee, leading her to crash on the grass. She had no functioning hands to take it out and it seemed to have ripped the tendons, leaving her left foot unusable. But she didn't need it anyway. She was pushed on the ground again, face facing the dirty ground. Pulled by her hair, her back was arched painfully, while the invisible man, was taking off the remaining clothes off her.

"Chameleon, try not to kill her," said someone from the crowd of spectators.

"Does it matter? We only need her eyes, right? Besides, - the gruesome man lowered himself and licked Hinata's ear, - I won't risk killing her when I can have so much fun with her..."

The scrolls... The letter... The rose... She could see her bag thrown away on the side. She had so much to do, and now was about to mess up in such a bad way. It would be best if those men could just kill her... Tears were pouring from her eyes. She could not stop the man in any way and just lied there, feeling his disgusting hands touch her in ways and places that she had never expected someone to touch her... She stared at the backpack, the wooden box with the desert rose in it barely visible in the moon light.

She could hear Neji choke on his blood, and she couldn't hear Habani breathe. If only she was not such a coward, if only she had staid in Suna a bit more... Those men would not have been able to wait for her for too much in the forest. It was her fault. She had risked the mission, as well as her sister and cousin... _How could she... How could she be so weak?_

She felt her pants being torn. Just when she could feel them being pulled off by the man she personally preferred when he was invisible, she saw something strange. The wooden box with Suna's insignia fell out of her bag. It shook just barely noticeable for plain eyes. And before she could realize what was happening, a thin line of sand shot from the box, tiring itself around her attacker's throat. He jumped, stumbled in surprise and fell, trying to take whatever was squeezing him off his neck. But with no avail. The sand-necklace tightened more and more, until his lips turned blue, his eyes rolled inward and he fell on the grass dead.

The rest of the attackers started panicking. They looked around and couldn't see anyone. Hinata watched as the sand flew from the ex-invisible man and tied around the huge one's neck. This one had thrown Neji on the ground and was probably in fault for his dead. Some of the men ran away, hiding in the forest, the others tried to fight.

"Little bitch!" Someone shouted and pulled her by the hair again. "Are you doing this?"

She could not answer, but she didn't really need to. The sand suddenly locked around his neck.

"Let her go."

And the man did, but only because he died. The girl had no strength left. She lied on her face and listened to the screams around her. Previously they were chaotic, frustrated. Now they were full of fear. And somehow, slowly the clearing was getting more and more peaceful. Soon she realized she could not hear screams anymore.

_This voice... It was so... familiar..._

Suddenly there were hands around her again. She gasped for air, pain shooting through her body while someone was turning her lie on her back. Green eyes stared at white ones. Red hair was even redder, drenched in blood.

Gaara knelled on the ground next to her. She was barely clothed. She was barely conscious. Breathing heavily, her eyes hardly staid open due to exhaustion, pain and face injuries. The man stood up, took his Kage cloak off and covered the girl. No one was supposed to see her like this. The white fabric immediately soaked in blood. The Kazekage looked around the field, wondering if he had killed the attackers too painlessly. Temari and Kankuro were hunched over two bodies, probably Hinata's escort. The man wondered if they were even alive.

"Ga... Gaara... - Hinata whispered, barely making any sound. - Are they..."  
"Don't speak. I am taking you back to Suna."

But taking the girl in his hands was harder than he thought. Her arms hung lifelessly, like a doll's, and one of her legs had a kunai sticking from the back of it. He took it out, cursing his stupidity.

_How could he let her leave like this, with only two people for an escort?_ He heard a painful sigh come out of the Heiress as she fainted, her face resting on his shoulder. Kankuro's dolls were already holding the two other Hyuugas and were ready to leave this place.

Gaara took one more look at the bloody massacre that was the small clearing in the woods. Yes. He definitely missed killing like this.

* * *

The smell of blood reminded him of his younger days when he still had the tailed beast in him. His hair and face were dirty with the red liquid from killing the men in the woods, but when he fought, he tended not to be too messy. Most of the blood on him was from Hinata.

He stared at the piece of paper in front of him, lost in thought. The letter to Hiashi Hyuuga was already ready, sealed and sent. This one would be an express one and was addressed to Naruto. With a sigh, he read the text again:

_"Naruto,_

_I am afraid we would have to put our grudges aside for the moment._

_Hinata Hyuuga, as well as her sister and cousin, had some urgent work in Suna. On their way back to Konoha they were attached by shinobi from the Village hidden in the Mist. They were badly injured and are all in critical condition._

_As it will be dangerous to escort them to Konoha in their current conditions, I would like to request you to send an escort to bring them back once they are better, as well as a medical team. Our medics seem not to be able to help them enough._

_I will be awaiting your reply._

_Gaara."_

The Kazekage folded the paper, sealed it and attached it to the fastest messenger hawk Suna had. Sending it away, he watched the bird fly, feeling an strange pain in his chest.

A few hours had passed since the Hyuugas were successfully brought back to Suna. Thanks to his sand control, he had been able to both get to the forest extremely fast and also to get them back quick enough so the medics could save the three of them. Thank the gods he had given the Heiress the desert rose. Due to it being made of his special chakra enhanced sand, he had actually sensed the attack. He had used this previously, but just to keep in touch with his siblings or to pass messages. Never had this helped him save a life...

And still, had he been on time at all? Hinata had broken ribs, fractured spine, severe head traumas... Both her arms were dislocated from the shoulders and were broken in several places. One of her feet had its tendons completely ripped. And on top of all this, she was beaten up and molested. She had been abused. She might have been raped. He was not sure. The medics didn't know yet.

_Why did he let her leave like this? How could he?!_

Gaara nearly punched the wall. He let his face fall in his palms and staid like this, hidden from the reality for a moment.

"Gaara?" Kankuro had entered his office. "The medics want to speak to you."

Staring at his brother's face, the Kazekage knew the news would not be good.

* * *

"Naruto-sama, a message for you."

The Hokage turned his eyes off the pile of boring documents on his desk and fixed his blue eyes on his secretary. "Who is it from?"

"It has Suna's insignia on it."

The man blinked, but took the sealed letter and returned to his seat, opening it. He was sure that Gaara would eventually apologize, but didn't think it would happen that soon.

But this wan't an apology. It was a disaster. His eyes widened, his lips parted, his hands started shaking. _No..._

"Inori! - he called after his secretary, who was just leaving the room. The woman turned around, startled. - Get Sakura here!"


	16. Chapter 16

"Where is she?"

Naruto had just climbed off the giant, white bird that had led him to Suna in just a day. Sai hurried to let go of the jutsu and the drawn animal turned into a puddle of ink on the ground.

Gaara didn't answer. Instead, he just turned around and led the group of Konohans to the hospital. He was glad to see the pink-haired kunoichi. She was the best student of the famous Tsunade. There was no doubt that she was the best medic in her village. He had also seen the blond woman during the war, he did not know her name, but he didn't doubt Naruto's decision on bringing only the best medic nins here.

The man with the black hair, however, he did not know. He wore a strange, fake smile on his lips and the way his clothes revealed his stomach was odd. The Kazekage decided not to spend to much time to dwell on this, it disturbed him.

Entering the large building, he immediately turned right and the others followed. A long, narrow corridor led them to a staircase. two stories down was a group of ANBU shinobi, guarding a door. They did not hesitate and let them in straight away. A medic saw them and rushed to him.

"Kazekage-sama..."

"What are their conditions?

The man gulped and looked at the documentation in his hands. "The girl is still in a coma, but stable. The man is critical, his condition is not improving... And the Heiress..."

"Sakura - Gaara turned to the woman, interrupting the man behind him, - Hinata is in the room in on the right. Her cousin is on the left."

And in a flash, the two women were missing from sight. Ino rushed to the left, slamming the door behind her. She was obviously too upset of the condition of the man. The two Kages were left in the large room in silence. The medical staff hurried to leave them alone, and even Sai gave the red-haired man a smile and left.

Naruto was looking at the ground, his fists clenched, his jaw stiff. Gaara had seen him like this before. Back when the Uchiha's life was at stake. The blond then headed for one of the chairs in the other end, crashed in it and dug his face in his palms. The other man followed, sitting next to him, tying his hands on his chest. They fell silent. The only sounds they could hear were Sakura and Ino, giving orders to the medical staff. Their voices were distant, faint and Naruto couldn't really understand what they were saying. But he knew his teammate and the Yamanaka. The voices he heard now were harsh, frightened...

"What the hell happened?"

"They were here sent on behalf of their Clan. I had to pass some confidential information to the Heiress that I couldn't on your last visit."

Blue eyes shot up, rage flaming in them. "How come I don't know anything about this?"

"It seems Hyuuga Hiashi does not trust you with his Clan's deals. I have to guess that being one of Konoha's elders, he has privileges to start missions without your consent."

"No, he doesn't! - Naruto's fists hit his knees. - I have to give an order for every single mission! You know, except for the ANBU ones, Kakashi deals with that... But this was not an ANBU one!"

Gaara fell silent and watched his friend dig his fingers in his blond hair, fixing his eyes on the floor again.

"So it was just the three of them?"

"Yes."

"And how many were the attackers?"

"About thirty men.

"Was it an ambush?"

"I can not be certain. It seemed that the Hyuugas were oddly worried when they arrived here. It is possible that they had noticed someone chasing them, they had traveled without a rest for more than a day. Besides, all three of them are in the Bingo book. It is normal for a shinobi enemy to attack them when given the opportunity..."

"But it is not normal for the three of them to travel alone! - The Jinchuuriki jumped up, towering above Gaara. - How come you let them leave without an escort?!"

"The Heiress decided to leave as soon as possible. She..."

"What, did you banish her from here too? And how come she was here in the first place?! Did you not kick us out of here permanently? Or is it only me that is no longer welcome?"

Gaara watched the anger in his friend get bigger. And he understood. He knew why he was angry at him and he had all the reasons to be.

"I am sorry, Naruto. I can not imagine what shinobi from the Mist would be doing in the bordering lands between Konoha and Suna."

"You are sorry? **You Are Sorry**?! - Naruto was trying his best not to let his anger in the hospital, but this was just to much for him. He grabbed the man's collar and pulled him, raising him from the chair. - You have yet to be sorry, Gaara!"

But the red-haired man did not react. He could have assigned the ANBU guards to lead the group back to Konoha. He **should **have done that, but instead, he let the girl go. Was he upset that she was so eager to go back to Naruto? Was it possible that he was... jealous? Too jealous to think straight and to secure the Heiress of the Hyuuga clan? He watched the blond grit his teeth, his canines extending in fury due to the Kyuubi's chakra. But the Hokage let him go, letting him back on his chair.

"How did you even get there on time? How did you know..."

"I gave her a present."

"A what?" Naruto was obviously missing something.

"I made her a present. A desert rose, made of my own sand. This way I could trace her. I felt her chakra get disturbed."

"This... - Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. - This is sick. And I thought I was a stalker... So you just flew there and killed the bastards?"

"Yes."

The Uzumaki fixed his gaze on him, as serious as Gaara had ever seen him. "Did you make sure they got what they deserved?"

"Yes."

"Good... - he then sat on the chair again, looking at the door that Sakura had disappeared behind. "What have they done to her?"

Suna's leader sighed and also took to staring at the same door. "Both her hands are broken, shoulders were dislocated. It seems the attackers were aware of the Hyuuga techniques. She has internal bleeding, concussion... Many fractures, bruises, cuts. Naruto... She was almost raped..."

And it seemed that this was the last straw. Naruto shot up and in a moment was holding the other man by the neck, pressed by the wall. His right hand squeezed around his throat, and the left one was occupied by a rasengan. "I should cut you in pieces."

"You should."

"Naruto!" A familiar voice echoed in the room. Both men turned around to look at Sakura. She had blood on her hands, her hair was tied up and all the medics in the room where Hinata was seemed to be leaving in a hurry. "Let him go and come with me."

He didn't waste time. The rasengan disappeared and he let Gaara fall on the ground. He watched the kunoichi hesitate before the door. She looked at him.

"She is awake."

The Hokage nodded and let her open the door. Closing it behind him, he let the pink-haired medic pull the curtain from the only bed in the room. It was elevated so the patient in it was in a sitting position.

"Hinata-chan..." The man took a few hesitant steps and stood beside her. He watched her open her mount, but pain shot through her face.

"Her throat was hurt badly, - started Sakura. - Her vocal chords are damaged. I will treat them later, now I want to handle a more urgent matter... Hinata... As you are stable... Would you be comfortable if I leave you with Naruto and go help Ino heal Neji?"

The girl's eyes widened. She nodded a few times, hoping the kunoichi will tend to her cousin as soon as possible. And that is exactly what the woman did. In a second, she had left the room. The Jinchuuriki watched the Heiress struggle to look him in the eye. It seemed that Sakura had healed her facial injuries, but the marks from where she was hit were still slightly visible.

"Hinata... - he gave her time to finally get the courage and shift her white eyes to him. - How... How do you feel?"

She tried to speak again, but gave up shortly after. The usual blush was gone from her face. She was pale, she was in pain and he did not know what to do. But asking questions was not his brightest idea. _I am retarded._

"I... - he continued. - If I knew, I would have sent an escort with you."

The Hyuuga shook her head. A painful idea, but it was her only way of communication at the moment. It seemed that both her arms were in casts and she couldn't write. She didn't want to let Naruto feel any guilt for what had happened. It was her fault she was weak. It was her fault Neji and Hanabi...

The Hokage watched as the girl before him went into panic. She could not move much, all the casts and bandages were preventing her from that. But she suddenly seemed... worried?

"Hinata-chan, Hanabi is stable and Neji... He is in good hands." This did not seem to help her much, but she couldn't do anything anyway. The man pulled a chair and sat next to the bed. The girl was not facing him again. Why was she hiding?

* * *

Hinata couldn't look at him. Her head was spinning, pain was making her dizzy, and worry was making her irrational. She could not let him see her like this. Why was he here anyway? How long had she been out? Was she still in Suna? The fact that she could not speak drove her insane.

"Hinata..."

She finally turned around. Naruto was staring at her, his blue eyes tracing each and every scratch visible on her. It hurt her too much to blush. She looked down again... This was a disaster.

Suddenly, she felt something on her face. Naruto held her cheek in his palm. His touch was extremely gentle, she barely could feel it. She saw a great pain in his eyes.

"I am so glad you are ok, Hinata... I don't know what I would've done if you weren't...

* * *

Two days had passed since they had arrived in Suna. Naruto stared through the window of the usual room he was given every time, waiting for a knock on his door that never came. Sakura had asked him to let Hinata rest and not see her at least until she was healed properly. His former teammate had explained that she needs to have some private time with the Heiress so she can tend to her more and run some checks on her.

Neji was also stable, but was unconscious, just as Hanabi. The Hokage grit his teeth and made a note to have a serious talk with the Hyuuga Clan-leader. He could still not believe that Hiashi had let his two daughters and his nephew travel alone... It was a fact that the shinobi world was a safer place after the war, as all the nations had joined together to fight Madara. But things were changing, all was going back to normal, the villages were slowly starting to fight again.

_Just as Konoha and Suna at the moment_. But this was another kind of quarrel. Naruto had to fix it for his home town's sake. He was the Hokage now. He could not let any such problems affect the stability and balance between the two shinobi cities. The man sighed, put his Kage cloak on and left his room. Walking up the stairs, he wondered what he was about to say to Gaara. The man was not at fault that Hinata's dad had decided to send her with only her closest siblings on a mission. But it was his responsibility, especially after claiming he has feelings for her, to protect her. Naruto would have done it in his place...

He did not wait for the guards to let him in, but just walked in to the office. Kankuro was explaining something to the man behind the desk, but seeing the blond, he only bowed and left the room. The Jinchuuriki then sat on the arm chair and looked at the Kazekage. Both were silent for a while.

"Notabi has informed me that the Hyuugas are better."

"Not thanks to you."

Gaara sighed and placed his chin on his knotted fingers. "Naruto, I understand why you are angry at me, but I did not let this happen on purpose."

"Gaara... I know you, - started Naruto, leaning on the desk, - but you are not like this. You have never been so careless. What happened for you to let them go like that?"

The red-haired man did not answer. He recalled the odd breakfast he had with the Heiress, the things he had told her and the way she had reacted.

"Something has happened between you, hasn't it?"

"She loves you."

This time the Uzumaki fell silent. He blinked.

"She loves **you**, Naruto. Not me. In fact, me expressing my feelings so openly seemed to stress her too much."

"I thought I told you to be careful with her."

"I wasn't."

"You don't say..."

The Kazekage sighed again and locked his eyes on the man before him.

"I guess I am just too odd around people. I am not normal, I'll never be, you know that. But this is no excuse. I am deeply sorry, Naruto. I guess it was just too hard for me to lose something that I thought I had."

"Had? Hinata is not an object. – The Hokage leaned on his chair, obviously irritated. – Besides, is this like, the second time you meet her? Gaara, you are attached too easily."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you have not had to many social interactions, aside of your Kage duties. But meeting a girl and being close to her is a really gentle matter. And being rejected... – He thought of all the times Sakura had chosen Sasuke over him and frowned. – It is something that you better get used to."

This time Gaara frowned. "I don't think I'll ever get used to such a thing."

Naruto stared at his friend, something terrible revealing in his mind. Gaara was from these people that could not take "no" for an answer. He was competitive and always chased after his goals, no matter what it took him.

"You were jealous."

"What?" The Kanji symbol on his forehead raised in frustration.

"You were too jealous that she chose me over you. And you couldn't think straight. Or maybe you could?"

"What are you implying?"

"I am _implying_ that you left her in the lurch because you couldn't take that she prefers me over you. So you decided to not care for her anymore."

"Naruto... – Gaara almost hit his desk with his palms, obviously getting angry."

"Save it, I have been stuck on your ceiling before, I know how it works. Forget it, I'm leaving and I'm taking her and the others with me."

* * *

**_Note:_**

_Hello all! Thank you for your patience, I really had no time and lacked inspiration, so yeah, it just took me some effort to write this chapter._

_Also, thank you all who review my story. You always make my day and inspire me. Your queses, your thoughts and your requests help me write! **Thank you!** I will try to update soon._


	17. Chapter 17

"Naruto, you can't move them!"

Sakura stared in his eyes, frustrated.

"We have to get them back to Konoha".

"Travelling will risk their conditions – the pink haired woman waved at the medics around her and they hurried to leave the medical office. Only Ino didn't move. She was silent, but her look was the same as the Haruno's. – We barely managed to save Neji, and I am still not sure when, and if, Hanabi will wake up."

But the Hokage understood this. He sat on one of the chairs and dug his face in his palms.

"What is this all about anyway?" Ino finally spoke.

"I need to get her back."

"Why?"

"Because…" Naruto couldn't continue, but his former team mate understood right away.

"You have to go back, but you can't leave her with him, can you?"

The man looked at the green eyes and barely nodded.

"No way, I will not risk Neji's life just because you are jealous." Ino stood up and was about to exit the room when the other woman stopped her.

"Naruto… You can take her with you. I will stay here and will monitor the other Hyuuga."

The Jinchuuriki looked up. It was unlikely for the kunoichi to make such an offer. Especially with everything that was happening in Konoha at the moment. The room fell silent.

"That is an option – the Yamanaka returned to her seat. – Hinata is indeed conscious. I guess she is safe to travel. Especially if we will use Sai's jutsu to fly again."

"Then it is decided. Sakura, will you be alright here all alone?"

"I've spent time in Suna before, I will survive."

Naruto nodded. "Then get Hinata-chan ready. We are leaving this afternoon."

* * *

Gaara looked at the documents on his desk, but listened to the blond in front of him carefully.

"Are your medics sure she can travel?"

"They are. But Neji and Hanabi will have to stay here until they are safe to return too."

"We will take care of them. I can send you daily reports…"

"Sakura will stay to treat them. Hope that's not a problem."

Gaara finally looked up. He did not think the Hokage would make the woman stay here, especially concidering the current events in his home town. But he nodded. "No problem at all."

"She will report to me."

"Good."

Eyes fixed on each other, they fell silent.

"You should forget my previous behavior. You are welcome here anytime, Naruto."

"Goodbye, Gaara."

And the red-haired man stared at the other's back as he left the room. What was this strange pain in his chest that suddenly struck him?

* * *

They arrived in Konoha late in the evening. People were already at their homes, getting ready to go to bed. The only ones they met were the two guards that welcomed them at the entrance of the city. With a smile, Naruto greeted them and headed ahead. It was good that he was back.

After a short chat with Ino, he dismissed her and watched as she hurried in TenTen's direction. The woman probably wanted to let her friend know that Neji was safe.

Sai also hurried to disappear, as he had to report to Kakashi. This left The Jinchuuriki alone with the Hyuuga heiress. He looked at her and smiled.

"I promised Ino that I will take you to the hospital. But let's pay your father a visit first."

Hinata had been awfully quiet ever since she was awake. She still couldn't speak freely, but at least she now managed to whisper. Her voice was slowly getting back. And yet, Naruto's offer shocked her. She was in no condition to meet her clan or her parent. She shook her head and took a step back. How was she supposed to explain her condition, and the condition of her siblings? She couldn't even make a proper sound.

Standing in the dark, she stared at her feet and felt tears filling her eyes. She was a disgrace. The nice warm breeze took her out of her thoughts and she looked up to the man in front of her. The nice light wind was playing with his hair. It was a bit longer than what it was before, during the war. He looked so mature now. And his smile… It frustrated her. He suddenly took a step forward and gently rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Hinata, believe me, the last… The second to last man I would leave you with now is your father. But I have some deals to settle with him, and yet, your clan must know you are fine. We will be out of there in no time."

She suddenly felt better. Even if Naruto had not looked at her differently than as a friend, he had always been there to protect her. She trusted him with her life.

"Are you strong enough to walk?"

Even though it was dark, the man finally noticed a blush appear on her face. She nodded. With a smile, he headed towards the Hyuuga mansion.

* * *

Naruto had requested to speak to Hiashi alone. Hinata was just a room away from where her father and the Hokage were speaking right now. She was served tea and, by request of the Uzumaki, was left alone. Her left hand was no longer in a cast, but her fingers were very numb for some reason. She could barely lift her cup. Finally, she managed to spill the hot liquid on herself and gave up. She tried to eavesdrop on the conversation, but she could not understand a thing. The Jinchuuriki's voice was just a murmur and it seemed her father was not speaking at all.

She looked at the bag that lied on the ground next to her. The ancient Hyuuga scrolls were there, as well as the letter Gaara had written to Naruto. She sighed. Suddenly, she wished to turn back time and to be back in the position when she was quiet, unnoticeable and inexistent. Back when no one, except for Kiba and Shino, noticed her presence. This whole Hyuuga Heiress thing was too heavy for her to carry.

The door on her right opened. She looked above only to meet another pair of white eyes. Hiashi stared at his daughter, his Byakugan tracing every cut and bruise on her. He did not say a thing and soon Hinata found it hard to keep her eyes on him. She stared at the ground not knowing what to do.

"Let's go, Hinata-chan."

Raising her eyes again, she noticed Naruto had appeared behind the Hyuuga Clan leader and was smiling at her. He took a step forward, took her bag and put it on his shoulder. He carefully helped the girl stand and turned to the man behind them.

"I hope everything is clear, Hiashi-san."

He did not wait for an answer. Motioning to the Heiress to follow him, they left the room, as well as the mansion, and slowly headed to the Konoha Hospital. The girl didn't understand exactly what was happening and soon her questioning look fell on the blond, who walked next to her. His blue eyes were fixed somewhere in the distance, almost staring at the starry sky. Yet, he noticed her look and smiled again. The Hyuuga suddenly realized – she had not seen Naruto smile like this for a while. Ever since they had arrived just about an hour ago, he had seemed somewhat peaceful and… happy?

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hinata-chan. It just seemed that your father was left with the impression that, as he is a part of the Elder Council, he is free to assign missions on his own. Also, I wanted to make sure that, until you recover, you will be free of any Heiress duties – Her white eyes widened and he hurried to explain. – I want you to rest. And I want your clan to leave you alone while you are at the hospital. They brought you enough trouble."

"But…"- she managed to whisper.

"Hey, don't rush yourself. You will be free to speak soon. I heard that Shizune has a special technique for healing damaged throats." The man laughed and dug his hands in his pockets, underneath the Hokage cloak. It suited him unbelievably much. He looked really mature. After all he had done for his village, he really had deserved to have his face on that mountain, along with his father and Tsunade-sama.

The girl blushed and stared at her feet. She noticed that the night had suddenly become darker and stopped. It wasn't the night. She was just dizzy. Her feet were a little week. This was the first time she walked ever since the attack – Sakura had forbidden her to stand back when they were still in Suna.

"Hey, are you ok?"

Hinata felt Naruto's hand around her shoulders. She remembered the bear she could summon, but her right hand was still in a cast and she could not do any hand signs. She needed to sit. Her headache was coming back and the pounding in her temples was increasing, making the darkness in front of her thicker.

Suddenly, she felt very light. It took her some time to understand that the Uzumaki had picked her up and was now holding her in his arms. Yet, he stood still. In a minute her vision was returning back to her. She stared at the blue eyes, blue as the summer sky, that were fixed on her.

* * *

"Hinata?" But it seemed the girl could not notice him anymore. She had frozen in her track, staring at the ground. She had become so pale, her face almost glowed in the darkness. The man hurried to wrap his arms around her shoulders, he was afraid she could faint. He shouldn't have let her walk that much. Supporting her weight, he watched her grasp her temples, pain on her face. He had to get her to the hospital. He only hoped that this was happening because she was too tired, not due to some unhealed internal damage.

He had to hurry. He took a step forward and picked her up. She was so light… It seemed she couldn't figure out what was happening at first, but her white eyes seemed to be clearing. He had to go but instead he just stood there, watching her. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Bruises and cuts were still visible, but her face was beautiful. In a minute he understood that she was back to her senses – the redness in her face was returning with full speed. Her lips parted, but she couldn't make a sound. Naruto forced his feet to move and was suddenly back on his way to the hospital.

She seemed to want to protest. With a smile, he looked ahead, trying his best not to look at her again. He felt that he could do something stupid. This was not the moment to do anything stupid.

* * *

Hinata had soon understood that she couldn't get out of the situation. Naruto was holding her, her head resting on his chest. She could hear his heart and listened to it, its rhythm calming her. For the first time in her life she really felt so calm.

She did not want this moment to end, and yet, in just a few minutes they were in front of the medical building. She was glad that there was no one to see her like this, she did not wish to get Naruto in trouble or cause him to suffer from any stupid rumors. She had enough bad experience with rumors. She managed to get his attention and her pleading eyes seemed to work, because she finally managed to convince him to let her go.

She tested her balance, happy to feel the ground underneath her, but the Hokage still held his hand around her shoulders. He took it off only when they walked through the door.

Shizune was waiting in the hallway, obviously expecting them. She smiled at first, but quickly frowned. She had not expected for the Heiress to be in such a bad condition.

"Follow me."

Soon she was led to a large room in a part of the hospital Hinata had never been at, nor ever known it existed. It looked strange. Shizune rushed her to the bed. The medic then quickly turned to the Hokage."

"I will let you know as soon as I check her."

He nodded and smiled. His eyes shifted to the Heiress, who felt her face burning.

"I'm leaving you in good hands, Hinata-chan. Make sure you rest." He took her bag off his shoulder and left her on the bed next to her. Soon, he was out of the room.

"Hinata-san, - started Shizune, - Please take off those dirty clothes and put this gown on. I want to examine you."

* * *

After Shizune had checked her condition, she had left her rest and had explained that she was going to start her treatment on the next day. Hinata was supposed to sleep, but she couldn't blink. The pain in her head was too severe. Bored in her room, she wondered what she could do. Suddenly, her bag got her attention. The scrolls were still there. She managed to get it and brought it back to her bed. Yet, the first thing she grabbed was Gaara's letter. She opened it and stared at the beautiful handwriting. In there was the box with the desert rose. She opened it, looked at the beautiful sculpture and hurried to close it. She liked Suna, but the memory of her attack was still bitter.

Putting the letter back, she chose a very old looking scroll and gently opened it. After a while she managed to understand that a technique for instant death was explained in details. The specific Hyuuga chakra had to be gathered in a specific way on the end of the pointer finger and then inserted with a blast in the heart of the enemy. This caused the heart to instantly stop.

Hinata shivered. She could not do such a thing. She put the scroll back in the bag and opened another one. A similar technique was explained, only this was for painful decapitation. She needed time before she found something that finally got her attention – a technique for healing. She read the scroll again and again, before she was finally convinced she could try it on herself. She closed her eyes and concentrated, but her chakra was not obeying. Neither were the numb fingers on her left hand.

He bit her lip and finally gave up. She wanted to try it again, so she placed this scroll on the table on her side. Letting the bag on the ground next to her bed, she sighed, finally feeling sleepy. She closed her eyes and drifted in dreams where people were chasing her, where she was fighting, but was still useless.

* * *

When the heiress opened her eyes again, it was still dark. She then noticed that the blinds on her window were lowered. She was happy at whoever had thought of that, she was sure the sunlight would cause her pain, her headache was still there.

She froze. It took her some time to get accustomed to the dark room, but she clearly felt someone's presence. Her white eyes finally fixed on her guest. He was holding a scroll. Her eyes shifted to the empty bedside table next to her, and then to the man again.

"And I thought you would never wake up."

Red eyes were fixed on white ones, black bangs in the way of both of them.

Uchiha Saske was sitting on a chair in the other end of the wide room, an odd smirk on his face.

If only Hinata could scream…

* * *

_**Note:**_

_Sorry for the huge delay. I had too much drama in my life. Anyway, I will try to update soon, as I have a lot of inspiration for this story. Thank you again for all your support._


	18. Chapter 18

**_Note:_**

_I usually put this after the story, but as there has been a great misunderstanding after my previous chapter, I would like to clarify some things first:_

_First of all, I do not remember when and why I have changed the story tag from GaaraxHina to NaruxHina. It is back to GaaraxHina as it should have been all along, so don't start panicking._

_Also, please take time to read the description of my story again. This story is about the love triangle between the two Kages and the Hyuuga Heiress. I know that most of you prefer the one couple over the other, but it will not be a triangle if I do not include feelings for the other man. My story has just reached its middle, so it is yet to be clarified who Hinata will choose. Nothing is certain at the moment._

_As for Sasuke, I simply have deep and extremely emotional feelings for him. He does not have such for Hinata though, nor does she for him. I included him in the story to make it richer and with more drama. I will write a separate SasuxHina story when the time comes._

_Enough with the explanations, I hope you will enjoy this next chapter. You will see more Kazekage (and Kage action in general) soon!_

* * *

Eyes widening, the Hyuuga couldn't make a sound. She stared as the man before her rose from his chair and closed the scroll in his hand.

"Interesting reading material. Judging by your condition though, you have not mastered this technique."

Hinata had never liked the blank expression the Uchiha had, and hated the smirk that rarely appeared even more. Barely breathing, she watched him move around the room, as if searching for something. The man was dressed in common villager clothes, the Uchiha sigh on his broad back. What did he want?

"You know - he continued, - there is a myth that the Uchiha kekkei genkai evolved from the Byakugan. I wonder if I will be able to perform this technique, as long as the other that are stuffed in your bag."

Before the Hyuuga moved her eyes to the ground next to her bag, the dark-haired man was already holding the scroll-filled satchel. He was as fast as ever. She tried to protest, but he seemed to be ignoring her weak whispers. She finally managed to get out of her bed. Her head spun, but she was determined. Hinata had to take her scrolls. This man did not deserve to see such important information. She had let down her clan enough times already.

Yet, before she could make a step, she was shoved in her bed again, the blanked falling over her. She managed to dig herself out of the situation and looked at the Uchiha angrily. The man was leaning on the wall on the left side of the bed, blank expression on his face again.

"My first mission as a free man is to babysit you. So do not try anything stupid. I will not put up with any childish nonsense."

_Babysit?_

The Sharingan user obviously noticed her frustrated look. He sighed, looking as annoyed as possible.

"As you may or may not know, I am placed under a seal that limits me in Konoha. I can not leave unless given the specific order from the... Hokage - he rolled his eyes, obviously not too pleased of the current village leader. - So my first order is not to let you out of sight."

And this red "sight" was freaking her out. She had grown up with the Uchiha survivor, they used to go to the same school, and he was the main reason Naruto had risked his life so many times. Hinata never felt comfortable around him. His aura had this cold and murderous feel.

"Also, running in front of a man dressed this way can be considered immoral."

The Heiress felt her face burn. She looked away. She could not believe that, from all people, Naruto had assigned that maniac to look after her. And what for, she wasn't a baby? She was stable. Why did he go for such an option? White eyes suddenly widened. Could she trust what he was saying? He was a well known psychopath, what if he had run away and was plotting something?

Before she could try and confront him, the door opened. White light slowly filled the room. Shizune stepped inside, holding a tray, filled with breakfast, as well as different medicine. The woman looked at the man, standing just a few feet away from the door.

"You are free to go, Uchiha-san. I will call you back when I have checked her."

"I am not going anywhere."

The medic stared at him with anger, but decided not to argue and took to ignoring him. Hinata watched as the woman sat on a chair next to her bed and started handling a strange green goo in a small jar. The Heiress wasn't hungry, but decided to eat just a bit, she needed strength. With the lights now on, she watched as the Uchiha's red eyes traced all the medicine on the tray. Hinata thought that he might have recognized some of those, after all, Orochimaru had been known for his medical knowledge. She had also heard that the man before her was immune to most, if not all known poisons.

Soon, the little jar was opened. It smelled strange - a combination of mint, ginger and something else that made her nose tingle, filled the room. Shizune took a small amount and rubbed it between her palms. The strange scent got more distinctive. In a moment, both of the woman's hands were on Hinata's throat, gently touching the place where the girl guessed her vocal chords were. At first this was just odd, but a strong warmness suddenly overwhelmed her. At first she felt like coughing, but in a moment the sensation was replaced by sheer relief - the Hyuuga just noticed that her damaged throat had been bothering her all that time. Slowly, the pain and unease was lifted from her and when the medical nin removed her palms, the girl sighed with relief. Hearing her voice was good. She missed being able to communicate properly.

Next, her right hand was taken out of the cast. After a series of movements, Hinata found out she could not move her index and middle finger almost at all. She was advised that this was due to nerve damage, which was about to go away with time and exercise. It seemed that Sakura had handled most of the traumas. Shizune explained her head is almost completely healed and that the dizziness would clear as soon as she got back to normal living.

When the woman left, it took Hinata a few seconds to remember she was not alone in the room. Sasuke was extremely quiet, but his constant stare was making her uncomfortable.

"I - she tested her voice. - I...would like to be alone."

It seemed that this entertained the young man as his smirk appeared again.

"As I already explained, I am not going anywhere."

"Then... - Hinata was starting to feel nervous. - I want to talk to Naruto-kun"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes and looked at the scroll he was still holding. "Still referring to him with "kun"?"

The girl looked away, her face red. She honestly did not like this man. He had never been one to watch his tongue or care for anyone but himself. He had probably agreed with Naruto's order out of sheer boredom.

She suddenly realized that she was willing to take all the wrath and disappointment from her clan, than spend time alone with this man. She could rest in her own room back at the Hyuuga mansion. But how could she run away from that maniac? The girl thought and pondered and could not come up with a plan. The headache was coming back.

* * *

Fortunately, just a few hours of dead silence and complete ignoring, Shizune had returned in Hinata's room with lunch and more medicine. The woman eyed the ex-prisoner, but quickly forgot about his presence.

The Heiress was quickly recovering. Her pain was slowly going away and she could now feel her right hand better. Her two most needed fingers were still almost paralyzed, but there was improvement after all.

"You need to rest. Take this, it will ease you up and will hopefully – the woman looked at Sasuke again – give you some peace."

Drinking the warm tea that was just served at her, Hinata couldn't argue that it instantly made her feel better. Yet, before the girl could actually realize this was some kind of a sedative, she was already sound asleep.

* * *

Waking up, the Byakugan user felt strange. The room was dark again, and her whole body felt shaky. She rubbed her eyes, happy at the progress both her hands were making – she could now move her right index finger.

Suddenly, the girl realized she was alone. She slowly stood up and turned the lights on – no trace of the Uchiha was left. The girl picked up the scroll with the healing technique and quickly put it in the bag next to her bed. She then located her dusty jacket on one of the small chair on her right. Putting it on top of her medical gown, she was soon fully clothed. She had to get back home as soon as possible.

When she successfully managed to sneak out of the hospital building, she noticed it was too late in the night – not a single person on the Konoha streets. This probably explained why the dark-haired man was not present in her room – he probably didn't like spending the night in a hospital.

Hurrying as much as she could, she took a shortcut through one of the small forests. She knew these paths like the back of her hand – she had never liked people staring at her, nor too much attention and noise in general, and had learned to avoid the Konohan crowds far back when she was just a kid. She stopped for a break a couple of times, as her head still pounded a little, and the air was too cold – running made her pant, which caused pain in her throat. At a point she even leaned on a tree to catch her breath.

It didn't take her too long after all. After a right turn, she found the main road and soon appeared on the hill just before her home. The consecutive short buildings were dark and just a few shimmering lights could be noticed. She took a deep breath. Gathering her courage, she took a step, but suddenly bumped in something. Raising her head, she met a pair of almost glowing red eyes and a very unhappy Uchiha face. Before she could protest, she was caught by the wrist and dragged in the opposite direction.

"I thought I'd find you here."

"Let me go."

"Why? So you can go and make a fool of yourself? You are supposed to stay at the hospital."

"I can rest in my own room."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Her white eyes stared at him without giving up. She was trying to free her arm from his grip, but was not very successful.

"Stop acting like a child."

He continued walking and also took a road through the forest. Hinata couldn't do much and tried to keep up the pace, but struggled as much as she could. After the attack in the Suna bordering lands, she did not like being touched much. And being dragged against her will was something she would never put up with.

The Heiress dug her heels at the ground and finally managed to pull away. It seemed Sasuke had his guard down, as he was not too prepared for the palm that landed on his chest. The chakra shock sent him a few feet away, enough to give the girl advance to run. And still, she only managed to make a few steps before she was grabbed by the hair. The man behind her pulled her and grasped both of her hands this time. Towering above her, he fixed his red eyes on her white ones, rage pouring through his veins.

"What is wrong with you?"

"I…"

"If this was a real attack you would be dead."

The man then pulled her closer and examined her left arm, the one she had just used. His Sharingan eyes seemed to have found what they were looking for. The Uchiha suddenly released her and gathered his palms. The girl watched as he made a few hand sighs, and panic ran through her face as she realized this was the combination for making a Chidori. The lightning in his palm soon lit up the trees around them. Hinata pulled away and tried to make a sign on her own, but her stiff right fingers were not obeying.

Uchiha Sasuke stared at his hand that was holding the buzzing lightning. He pulled the girl and ignored her unbalanced chakra attacks. Adjusting the jutsu, he pulled her left arm. The seal that was placed on him by Tsunade was starting to burn his back painfully, but he was already getting used to it.

The man was getting worried he might end up dislocating the Hyuuga's shoulder from all that pulling of hers. So without further delay, he crashed the Chidori a little above Hinata's elbow. She screamed, but he pulled her and covered her mouth, still holding her above the elbow. He waited for her to calm down and released her.

Hinata finally pulled away and pierced him with her eyes. Her whole arm was shaking, it hurt and she was almost certain blood was staining her sleeve. She was breathing heavily, seriously considering trying the decapitation technique she read about on him.

Yet, Sasuke was staring at her with the most careless and blank expression ever. They stood like that for a while, when a second shock hit her – her hand… Hinata watched as her left fingers moved freely. She still felt a slight vibration from the lightning.

"What… what did you…"

"The main nerve in your arm was paralyzed. The electrical current repaired its function and your arm's full blood circulation."

The Heiress blinked and continued moving her fingers. She then stared at the Uchiha.

"Return to the hospital and I may fix your other arm."

"I want to go home."

"Why? So your clan can damage you even more?"

"You know nothing of my clan."

"I know what it is to be prosecuted. And this is exactly what they are doing with you – Sasuke watched her lower her eyes. – That teme Naruto went through too much trouble to get you away from your father. Do you really wish to disappoint him?"

The girl was confused. He didn't want to let Naruto down, but returning with the Uchiha to her hospital room was as awful as being scolded by her elders. She sighed, realizing that she didn't have much of a say in this. If she disobeyed this maniac, he was probably going to find a way to drag her back.

Not looking him in the eye, she walked past him, headed back to the medical building.

* * *

Shizune was waiting in her hospital room. When Hinata walked in, followed by the dark-haired man, she stood up from her chair and headed for the girl, her eyes examining her from head to toe. The woman then turned to face the Uchiha.

"Is it such a crime to take a late walk with the Hyuuga Heiress?"

The woman eyed the awful smirk on his face but did not answer. Instead, she turned back to the girl.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yes."

But was she? Even though Sasuke had technically helped her with her hand problem, but she was not comfortable with him around. He scared her, and not in the good way, not the way she was scared of… Gaara…

Hinata appreciated Naruto's attempts to keep her safe, but this was a bit too much for her. She suddenly missed the freedom she had in Suna. She sighed. The Hyuuga heiress looked at her bag and remembered the rose that lied in it. She wanted to see it again. She wanted to see Gaara.


	19. Chapter 19

Gaara's documents scattered, some falling on the ground. The green eyes widened with shock and anger. He slowly turned to the gourd with sand that rested in the corner behind his desk. Her chakra was unbalanced. She was scared. And this other chakra…

The red-haired man stood up, almost turning his chair over. He let the sand fly out and let it run through his fingers. There was no doubt. Sasuke Uchiha had attacked the girl in some way.

_Is this how you keep her safe, Naruto?_

He grit his teeth and walked to the door. Rushing down the stairs, he headed to the hospital building.

"Kazekage-sama?"

"Kensei-san, I want a report on the Hyuuga's conditions."

The head-medic gulped. It was the end of his shift and it was almost four in the morning. The last thing he had expected was for the head of Suna to stop by, and in such a strange mood.

"The girl woke up little after the Hokage left. She has quite the temper…"

"And the other one?"

"He has been a bit unstable, losing consciousness a few times, but is stabilizing. Sakura-san is currently attending to him and…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Gaara had left the hospital's lobby. He headed below and in a minute was already by the room where Neji rested. He didn't hesitate to open the door, startling the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Gaara-sama."

"Sakura-san," he nodded to the woman and turned to the Hyuuga, resting on the bed. "Neji-san, I am glad to see you are finally awake."

The man looked especially pale, but managed to rise up and nod as well.

"What brings you here?" The Haruno eyed the newcomer with doubt. There was something strange in his eyes.

"Sakura-san, can I have a word with you."

She reluctantly accepted, leaving the room with one last glance at Neji. He was doing quite well. Closing the door behind her and taking a few steps, she eyed the man.

"What can I help you with? Are you feeling alright?" But she was sure there was nothing wrong with his health.

"I already asked our head-medic for their conditions, but I want to hear your report as well. How are the two Hyuugas recovering?"

Sakura was not stupid. She sighed and headed for the chairs that were placed before the few medical rooms. She sat down and waited for the man to do the same.

"This is not about their medical state, is it?"

Green eyes were fixed at green. The Kazekage looked down for a moment, then turned his gaze back at her. The kunoichi gave him a moment to respond, pondering on how and when he had become so handsome.

"Why did you stay here?"

The woman looked at her palms, playing with a bandage she had taken accidentally when exiting the room.

"Sasuke-kun… He is being released this week. He's probably out of jail already…"

Hearing his name made the ex-jinchuuriki clench his fists. "I thought you would want to be there to greet him."

"I thought so too." She sighed. "But at a point I understood that it is very hard for me to be around him. He did try to kill me…"

"I understand."

"That… That's not the reason. "Sakura finally returned her eyes to his and tried her best to speak with all the calmness she had. "During his trials, Sasuke-kun had to be questioned a lot. And as he is not very talkative… He had to be placed under the Yamanaka jutsu. His motives, thoughts and memories were deeply analyzed this way. And this also caused a lot of personal time between him and... Between him and Ino."

Gaara blinked. He was honestly not expecting such an answer. His most farfetched guess was that she had some kind of close relationship with the Hyuuga man or with his clan at general. "So you preferred not to stand in their way?"

"I decided I just don't want to see them."

Her cheeks a bit flushed, she looked down again. Sakura had never told anyone about this. And yet, somehow the man beside her was a perfect listener. She was aware that he was asking her out of sheer curiosity and mostly, out of courtesy, but he also seemed kind and polite enough to listen and understand her as much as he could. He was a very suitable person to be the Kazekage.

"Anyway," she continued, "will you tell me why you're really here?"

His eyes were glued to her in a way that was starting to feel uncomfortable. Yet, the man kept his calm expression. "I would like for the two of them to get home. Things between me and Naruto are a bit tense currently, so it will be best if you three head back soon. I don't want to risk you getting involved in our personal quarrels."

Sakura parted her lips. What was this all about? "What is happening between you two? I noticed some tension last time I saw you together." Sakura watched as the man sighed.

"I am in love with Hinata Hyuuga."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"It appears that Naruto has feelings for her too."

* * *

Hinata shifted in her bed. She was not able to sleep with those red eyes staring at her. The man on the other side of the medical room was playing with her nerves and was enjoying how uncomfortable he made her feel. He was a psychopath and loved it. She jumped up when the door opened, happy at whoever decided to give her the pleasure of not being with the Uchiha alone. The girl stared at Ino Yamanaka, who eyed the man first, then turned her beautiful blue eyes to her.

"Sasuke, would you leave us alone for a moment?"

"No."

"Come on, it will only be for a moment."

With great surprise the Hyuuga watched as the black-haired man walked out of the room with a slow pace. Strangely, he passed the blond woman so closely that her shoulder touched the side of his arm. He closed the door and left the two kunoichi alone. Hinata was sure that he could hear them well from the other side of the door though. She wondered why he had obeyed the request with such an ease. Sasuke was not one to be ordered.

"How are you feeling, Hinata-san?"

"I…I am actually quite well. I think I want to go home now."

"Don't be ridiculous, you have been here only for a few days." Hinata eyed the door for a moment and the other one understood her immediately. "Is he giving you a hard time?"

"I… No, I just…"

"I'll talk to him." Ino took a few steps and sat on the chair that was next to her bed. "Having in mind that he had been in a cell for the last 4 years, it is normal for him to behave like a lunatic. Ignore him, he shouldn't bother you for too long."

"He isn't really bothering me… I am just not used of someone staring at me while I sleep…"

The medical-nin laughed and looked at the door herself. "Sasuke is a creepster, but he means no harm. I'll try to convince him to at least leave you sleep in peace. Now let's get you checked, I have to report to Naruto that you are healing, or he will start throwing punches."

Hinata smiled. There was something strange. She was aware that Ino had been in love with the wayward Uchiha ever since she was little, but the casualness in her relationship with the man was surprising. She did not even use an honorific when she addressed him most of the time.

* * *

Two more days had passed since the Hyuuga Heiress had been locked in her hospital room. The constant supervision or Ino, Shizune and Sasuke was both nice and awkward. Hinata liked to spend her time reading or gazing at the sand-rose that reminded her of Suna so much, and their constant interruptions were in her way of concentrating. She wanted to learn as much as she could from the scrolls she had. The girl was currently learning a new technique for stopping an opponent without killing him. There was a possibility of an unexpected coma though. Such a technique had to be performed with a great precision.

At least the Uchiha had finally agreed to let her sleep alone. He had taken a chair and was currently guarding her door, but at least she didn't feel his burning eyes on her anymore. Hinata sighed. It was too late and she probably needed to sleep. Yet, she couldn't take her eyes off the desert rose in the wooden box that the Kazekage had given her. The girl touched the sandy texture and closed her eyes. Somehow she felt Gaara closer this way. In a few minutes she finally closed the box and let it rest on the nightstand next to her bed. Leaving the stunning-technique scroll on top of it, she adjusted her position and lied down. The nice warm breeze coming through her open window was refreshing. She closed her eyes and let the calmness of Konoha drift her away.

"Hinata."

Her white eyes opened wide. At first she thought she was dreaming. She rose up and stared at the red-haired man at the other end of the room. His green eyes shimmered in the darkness. She watched him return the sand he was standing on in the gourd on his back, his feet dropping silently on the ground. This was real. Just as real as she wanted it to be. She took the blanket off of her and tried standing up. Right at that point the door burst open. Uchiha Sasuke stood there, his Sharingan glowing madly.

"The hell are you doing here?"

Gaara did not answer. He took a step forward, obviously ignoring him. Sasuke also moved and in a flash was standing right in front of her, blocking the newcomer's way.

"Sasuke-san, please…" Hinata tried to reason with him, but he did not listen.

"I advise you to leave before I kill you."

For a second the Kazekage stopped, seemingly noticing the man before him just now.

"I wish to speak to the Hyuuga Heiress in private."

"Over my dead body."

"Then so be it."

Sand flew in the air and stood still above its master's head. It seemed that the Kazekage still gave the Uchiha a chance to change his mind, probably out of courtesy. Yet, the Sharingan user did not move.

"Sasuke-san," Hinata spoke again, "it is really alright."

"Shut up." The man quickly made a few hand-seals and the Chidori in his hand soon lit the room.

This was bad. This was really bad. Taking a deep breath, the girl jumped to her feet. She concentrated her chakra in her both her index fingers and, standing behind Sasuke, she swiftly pressed her fingers to his temples. The man did not expect her touch, but before he could react, his body dropped on the floor in her feet. The Heiress leaned down and touched his neck. He was breathing and his pulse was solid. Thank god, she could've killed him.

Hinata stared at the red-haired man before her, still not sure if she was dreaming or not. She watched him take a few calm steps, then he stopped and kicked the unconscious Uchiha in the stomach. When he was sure he was out, he turned to the girl.

"I am sorry if I startled you."

"You didn't… I felt your chakra. I figured it was something to do with the rose, but… You were just getting closer."

"The man nodded. "Would you take a walk with me?"

The Hyuuga blushed. She was in that awful hospital gown and probably looked ridiculous. Only a few days ago she had been afraid of the man, he creeped her out and made her shiver, but being away from him, she had realized she missed his company more than she could imagine. Why did he have such an effect on her?

"Why are you here?"

"I brought your siblings back."

Her eyes widened. "Neji-niisan, Hanabi… How are they, where…"

"They are in the hospital too, being checked once more just in case. Your cousin is still a bit unstable, but is recovering."

They fell silent, staring at each other for a long moment. "Does Naruto know you are here?"

"Probably not."

"Isn't that bad?"

"It is. But I have more important things to attend to first of all."

Gaara turned around and walked to the window, looking outside. In a moment the Heiress gathered her courage and also went there, grabbing her jacket and putting it on in the mean time. The two of them stared at the night sky, the stars shimmering brightly.

"Did you come… Only to escort my siblings?" Somehow she wanted to hear something else.

"No. I came here to see you. Your siblings only serve as an excuse for me to do that."

Her blush deepened. She stared at her feet, playing with the end of her jacket's zipper. "You should not have bothered. I am perfectly fine."

"I felt you being attacked. By this man." His head turned and his eyes tracked the body, lying on the floor a few feet from the door.

The Hyuuga blinked. "The Chidori… He did not attack me. He… he actually healed me using his electrical nature."

The kanji symbol on the man's forehead rose a bit. "Still, I needed to see if you are alright. Hinata," he turned to her, cutting the distance between them a bit, "I am sorry for what happened. I should have personally taken you back."

The girl shook her head. "There is no such thing. You are the Kazekage, you can't possibly escort every girl that comes to Suna."

"But you are not every girl."

"It is my fault for what happened. They were after me. I could have done a thousand things to save my siblings." She looked down again, feeling ill. The memory of this night was too hard for her.

Her chin was raised, held by Gaara's slim fingers. He stared at the whiteness in her eyes for a moment. "Then they would have killed you."

She gulped. "Maybe this is what I deserve for being weak."

A smile threatened to curl the man's lips. With his other hand, he took a flock of her black hair and gently placed it behind her ear. "You are the strongest woman I have ever seen."

His green eyes were enchanting. His calm face was making her both feel nervous and feel very relaxed. Somehow, this man managed to take out things in her that she did not think she had. With him she did not feel awkward, she felt strong, interesting. For the first time she was so comfortable in someone's company, as weird as he was. She smiled.

"I never got to thank you for saving me."

"You don't need to."

"Thank you."

"Always…"

Leaning, Gaara pressed his lips to her and let her magical scent overwhelm him. He honestly expected her to pull away, and yet, he could not take being distant with her. He wanted her, he needed her and he couldn't spend a moment without thinking of her.

Wide white eyes stared at his face, but slowly closed. Hinata let the warmness of his lips continue and never wanted it to stop. She took a step further and shyly wrapped her arms around his neck. He was too tall and she needed to stand on her toes. She pressed to him, deepening the kiss. She felt her feet were shaky, but before she could really fear of falling, the red-haired man held her by the waist, supporting her weight. He pulled away, only to watch her try to follow his lips. She wanted more. And he was teasing her. Lifting her a bit, the man kissed her again, engulfed in her magnificent presence. For the first time in his life Gaara felt so alive. He adjusted his position so he could deepen the kiss. He loved her.

But before Hinata could start thinking straight again, the door to her room burst open again, this time crashing in the wall behind it. Uzumaki Naruto walked in, glancing at his unconscious friend on the floor. His blue eyes then shifted to the two people by the window. The Heiress pulled away in shock, her fingers covering her mouth. She could still feel the red-haired man's lips…

"Gaara!" Naruto was furious. He walked to the girl and pulled her away from him.

"Naruto."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came for Hinata."

* * *

**_Note:_**

_Hello all! Sorry for the late update, I had my exam period and barely had any time, plus I lost inspiration for this story and needed a bit time to think of how I wanted it to continue. The previous few chapters that featured Sasuke also triggered my fangirl crush to go wild and I started a new Sasu/Hina story. Feel free to check it in my account._

_I promise I will update more. Now I have more time, and I have many ideas for this story. Let me know what you think of the new chapter._


	20. Chapter 20 - A New Beginning

Hinata stared at Naruto and did not know what to do. Had he seen her kiss Gaara? Shock ran through her as she understood something else – she did not care even if he had.

By now Hinata Hyuuga had been in a dilemma. Being in love with the same boy all her life was a hard thing to forget. And yet, she could not understand herself in falling for someone else for just a few days. The girl was afraid. Things were changing in her heart too fast and she couldn't keep up. Her head was a mess and she could not figure out what she felt anymore…

Until that kiss. Until that touch. Her lips still burned with the warm sensation of all the feelings that had rushed in her as soon as the red-haired man had taken her in his arms. The Heiress stared at the blond in front of her with frustration. He was the same man she had been staring at all that time, and somehow he was so different now. He did not seem as tall anymore, his eyes were not as attractive, his lips were not as kissable…

Hinata blinked as something hit her. She was finally over him.

"Hinata-chan, step away. This is going to get ugly." The Hokage pulled her by the shoulder and waited for her to stand behind him. And yet, she did not move at all.

"No."

The man needed a bit time to understand what she had said. She turned his whiskered face to her and stared, his blue eyes piercing like ice.

"What do you mean no?"

"I mean I don't need to step away."

Still frustrated, Naruto looked to Gaara and smiled. "I get it. I know that you are strong enough to find on your own, but I am just concerned that…"

"It's not that."

Seemingly angry now, the blond man turned to her completely, forgetting about the other.

"What is wrong with you? Are you under a genjutsu or something? This man has knocked out Sasuke and attacked you."

"He did not knock him out, I did."

"What?"

"And, " she continued, her chin raised, her white eyes determined. "He did not attack me. He kissed me."

The blue eyes widened with disbelief. When entering the room, Naruto had been so angry that he simply thought that the mad Kazekage was trying to abduct her. He could not imagine that he would actually go ahead and…

His Kyuubi mode engulfing him, he turned to the red-haired man and took a step forward. The yellow light he projected lit the room almost completely.

"Gaara… What do you think you are doing here?"

"I came to bring the other two Hyuuga, as well as Sakura-san back." He spoke with great calmness, as if this situation was not bad at all.

"And you decided to do this yourself with no warning whatsoever?"

"You are the one that was about to kill me for not escorting them the previous time. I learn from my mistakes, Naruto."

The Uzumaki grit his teeth. These arguments were solid. As much as he wanted to beat him up, he could not do a thing.

"Where are they?"

"Here. Sakura is conveying some last checks before they go home."

Blue eyes widened again. Two could play at that game… He let his Kyuubi mode wear off and tried to smile. "Good to know they are both alright. Gaara, please be so kind to wait for me in my office. I will check Neji and Hanabi, and together with Hinata, I will get them home."

The red-haired man raised the kanji symbol on his forehead. Something wasn't right here, but he had to obey this request. He nodded, then looked at Hinata. The rising sun suited her so much. Its bright light colored her eyes and made her appear divine. He remembered the time he had shown her the breaking dawn back at Suna. Sighing, he let the sand in his gourd appear underneath his feet and let it take him through the window.

* * *

He was quiet. The Hokage walked ahead, going one floor down, listening as Hinata's footsteps hurried after him, barely noticeable. He was mad beyond recognition, but could not afford to show it. Not before he did what he had to. He walked in Hanabi's room, explaining to her to pack up and get ready to go home. The girl reluctantly jumped up, seemingly impatient to leave the medical building. He then turned to Ino, who had been checking the little Hyuuga girl by that moment. He quickly instructed her to go and take care of Sasuke. She rushed out in a flash, and the two headed to Neji's room.

"Hinata-sama!" The man was sitting on the edge of his bed but stood up as soon as he saw the Heiress. "Are you alright? I… I am sorry, I couldn't…"

"Neji-niisan," she interrupted. "Let's go home."

The man nodded and turned his eyes to Sakura, who was currently writing something on a piece of paper. The woman stared at Naruto, her lips parting. Something was not right. Something was very, very wrong. She was sure that Gaara's sudden arrival won't be taken easily by him, having in mind their lack of coordination at the moment. But this was bad.

"Naruto, can I speak to you?"

"Later, Sakura-chan. I have some urgent business to attend to."

She stared at him as he walked away, followed by the two Hyuuga. The kunoichi caught a glimpse of Hinata and couldn't miss to notice that something was very different with her. She sighed, hoping that whatever was happening, won't lead to the two Kages fighting.

* * *

"Hiashi-sama, the Hokage is here to see you."

The Hyuuga clan leader had just woken up and was having his herbal tea. He put the small cup on the ground before him. "Let him in."

It did not take long for the blond man to appear, followed by his daughter. Hiashi stared at her, trying to put his finger on what had changed in her. Her eyes were determined, her stance was straight. Was she angry?

"I did not expect to see any of you," the man continued. "Were you not going to stay at the hospital for some more time, Hinata?"

"Neji-san and Hanabi-chan are already here and should be in their rooms by now, Hyuuga-sama." Naruto reluctantly took a step ahead and sat before the man.

He took a sip of his tea and stared at the blond again. His Byakugan eyes shifted to his daughter. "Is this the reason why you have come here earlier than expected?" The question was for both of his interlocutors.

"No." Naruto took a deep breath, turned his blue eyes to the girl next to him, who was also sitting on the floor now and smiled his heartwarming smile. "Hyuuga-sama, I am here to ask you for your daughter's hand."

Both Byakugan users froze. Hiashi left the cup in his feet again and stared at the Hokage. So this was why he had been so protective over Hinata. Yet, this did not explain the immense shock he could read on the girl's face.

"You want to marry my daughter?"

"Yes."

"Since when?"

"Since… Since a long time."

Before he could speak again, Hiashi watched as Hinata jumped to her feet.

"Why are you doing this?"

Her white eyes seemed to be trying to be angry, but her gentle face and featured just did not allow this emotion to appear.

"Hinata," The Uzumaki also stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders, just to be sure she won't run away. "I know that you are very frustrated. And it is my fault. But I have had it with making mistakes with you. I want to be able to protect you no matter what."

She shook her head. With a sharp move she was out of his grip and with another one, she had disappeared from the room. The Jinchuuriki pondered on whether it was good to chase after her. He could use a shadow clone and get her back…

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The boy turned to face the Hyuuga Clan leader again. He sighed and sat again, deciding to deal with the Heiress later.

"Are you serious in your request," Hiashi continued.

"Yes."

"You do understand that Hinata is the next Clan leader of the Hyuuga, right? She is my rightful heir."

"I do."

"This means that you would either need to marry into our clan, or that I will need to place the cursed seal on her and appoint Hanabi as my next successor."

The blond man gulped. He had not thought of this. "I honestly had forgotten about that detail." He decided to use it as his advantage. "It is probably why Hinata reacted like this."

"Judging by her reaction, it appears that you don't seem to like the idea of changing your name to Hyuuga."

"Not really, I am an Uzumaki, A Namikaze too. I can't leave this and become a Hyuuga instead."

"I understand." The Hyuuga Clan leader slowly stood up, not taking his eyes off Naruto. "I would need to consider this with our elders. I had the misfortune to have daughters, so every step I take with them has to be approved by our council."

"I see…"

"Yet," the Hyuuga continued. "You are the Hokage, Naruto. I can not think of a more suitable shinobi for my daughter."

With a bow, the Uzumaki bowed and left the room. Heading for his office, he could not help but smile. He would not let Gaara take her away from him. Not now when he finally knew what he wanted…

* * *

Green eyes widened. The Kazekage's lips parted, his fists clenched.

"We will make it official soon."

Engaged? When did Naruto get engaged to Hinata? And if she was his fiancée, then why did she kiss him with such a desire? The man tried to stay calm.

He had spoken to Temari about his intentions towards the Hyuuga heiress before he left for Konoha.

_You realize that there is no chance for you to be with her, right? Hyuugas do not marry outside their village. Besides, she is the Heiress of her clan. They would never agree in her being with you._

The man grit his teeth. "And does Hinata know of the good news?"

"Ah, she honestly did not expect it. I am sure she is somewhere with Hanabi, preparing for the celebration at the moment."

The red-haired man nodded, but did not believe a word of this. He let a small portion of sand roll out of his gourd without the Uzumaki noticing at all. He sneaked it out of the open window and let it fly. Soon, the small sand-ball turned in an eye, staring at the land below.

Gaara closed his eyes so he can track what he was seeing with his jutsu.

"I am sorry, Gaara. I know that you are fond of her too, but we have been so close for so long… It couldn't be helped."

With his eyes still closed, he smiled. "I understand, Naruto. I wish you all the best."

The Hokage really did not expect the man to take the news so easily. But still, he was a strange guy with unnatural way of perceiving things. "I am glad that everything is set, friend."

Finally opening his eyes, he nodded to the man before him. "I am glad as well. Now if you excuse me, I will need to return to Suna. Apologies for barging in like this. I will not do it again."

The Uzumaki laughed. "Don't worry about it."

With one last nod, Gaara stood up and calmly headed out. It was still too early and not too many people were around. This was good, the sudden appearance of the Kazekage could be a bit of a shock for some Konohans. The man paced through the empty streets, taking a shortcut through the woods. Soon he walked to a clearing where a small waterfall played with the village's river. On a larger rock stood the crouched figure of a girl, her black hair so long, it touched the water. Letting his sand carry him, he stood beside her and waited for her to notice him. It didn't take her long.

"G…Gaara- sama…"

He lowered himself to look at her better. Her cheeks were wet. "Are you really engaged to him, Hinata?"

She looked down. "No."

"Good." The man took her chin so he could meet her beautiful eyes. "Then come with me."

The Heiress blinked, wiping her tears. "Where?"

"In Suna. No one will be able to take you away from me anymore."

She stood up, trying to keep her balance on the damp rock. If she let herself be married to Naruto, she could eventually start liking him again. But it will be a forced feeling she did not want to have, not anymore. This would also mean that she would become an Uzumaki, and would be placed under the cursed Hyuuga seal. Hinata had never ever wanted to be a Hyuuga clan leader, this was not a problem. But she would lose everything she had ever had for a person she did not want to be with any longer.

The girl took a deep breath and extended her hand, offering it to Gaara. If she was about to lose everything, she could at least do it at her own will and for a person she wanted to spend her life with.

Climbing on his sand with hesitation, the girl watched as the element engulfed them, creating solid walls around them. It was dark in this sphere, but she could already feel it moving. She held the man's hand tightly, staring ahead with her Byakugan. She did not look back at Konoha. She did not want to. What she wanted was away from here, in a land of dust, winds and warmth she would always enjoy.

* * *

**_Note:_**

_As promised, here is a pretty quick update. I really enjoy how this story is going. I am happy I took a break so I could think it through._

_Let me know how you want things to go. I am always deeply inspired of your ideas and I like putting them in the story. Collaborating is always fun ^.^ _

_Are you a NaruHina or a GaaraHina fan? And do you want to see more of some other pairing here? :)_


	21. Chapter 21 - You Are Mine

Temari watched as the sand sphere flew by the Suna sky and hid somewhere near the Kazekage building. Aside of her brother's chakra, she felt another one. The woman sighed, turning around to face her room.

"I should go talk to him." She put her shirt on and took her giant fan. Even if she went only to see her siblings, she preferred to be safe. There were too many attacks recently. She walked to the door but hesitated before opening it. "Maybe you should talk to her."

"Why should I get involved in this?"

"You are from her village," she glared at the man and he rolled his eyes.

Shimakaru rose up on his elbows, staring at the blond woman. The covers of her bed were always so comfortable… He sighed and slowly stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. This was such a drag…

"Fine," he said, putting his clothes on. "I'll speak to her."

"Shika," Temari turned around and walked to him, staring at his eyes. He was gorgeous with his hair down. "This is for the sake of both villages. That's a great conflict that can result in a war between Konoha and Suna."

"I know." He kissed her and let her leave. Tying his hair, he sighed again and thanked the gods that he was not in such a position. No one from his village cared that he was with Temari, but for Hinata things would be much different.

* * *

The woman entered the Kazekage office without hesitation. In it she saw the Hyuuga Heiress sitting on the large arm chair and Gaara, leaning on the desk just in front of her. His hands were tied on his chest, but his face was calm. Pleased even. Yet, the black-haired girl was staring at her feet, playing with the end of her jacket's zipper. Her white eyes were sad, worried. Both of them looked at her when she entered. She let her fan rest on the wall behind the door and looked to her brother.

"Gaara, I need to speak to you."

He returned his eyes to the woman before him. "Is it urgent?"

She did not answer, but stuck her deep green eyes to him. He noticed her seriousness and finally stood up, nodding at her. The Kazekage then gently put the girl's hair behind her ear.

"Hinata, get some rest. Kankuro will take you to your room. I will come to see you shortly."

The Heiress stuck her white eyes on him, but nodded and stood up, watching as the man with the painted face just entered the room. He noted for her to follow and soon both were out. The red haired man then walked to his usual place, sitting on his chair and returned his gaze to his sister. She took the seat on the other side of the desk and sighed.

"Gaara, what are you doing?"

"What I feel is right."

The woman was astonished. She had never before heard the man mention anything about his feelings.

"But are you sure it is actually right?"

He looked away for a while then returned his attention to her, his arms knotted on his chest. "Temari, I well understand that this is not right in any way."

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Because…" he hesitated. She watched him as one of his arms shifted and landed in the middle of his chest. "Because for the first time I feel so… Alive."

She could not argue. Never had she seen him so interested, so full of energy. "But you have seen her only twice. Do you think this is enough for you to jeopardize the safety of Suna?"

"This has nothing to do with Suna," he spoke, his voice dead serious. "Whatever happens, I will take personal responsibility. This is an issue between a few people, not between our villages."

"Gaara…" Temari had no idea what to say. She knew that this matter was crucial, but could not help and feel utterly happy for her little brother. "Kankuro is furious," she lied. "He is afraid that you are jumping into decisions before you have thought through everything…"

"Temari." The man stood up and walked to his sister. "I am well aware of all difficulties this will lead to. Yet, I do not need months or years to know I want someone. Also, I will not leave her Clan and village toy with her."

She didn't know what else to say. There were questions that arose when she and Shikamaru got together. And still, they did not leave the villages be in their way. She sighed and tried to smile. "What do you plan on doing then?"

"I want to be with her. I will keep her here and fight for her if I need to."

She smiled. "She is not just a girl, Gaara. She is a Hyuuga. There are more complications around her."

"I am aware of that."

"Talk to her. I am afraid that she may not be realizing all the consequences that may follow her decision."

"She does realize them perfectly well. And I have yet to speak to her."

"Good. I have asked Shikamaru to talk to her as well."

* * *

Hinata lied on the same bed she had been given the previous two times she was in that city and stared at the ceiling. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her head was spinning. Her mind was blurry. Naruto had asked to marry her. And she had refused. Rubbing her temples, she sat up and tried not to panic.

She had run away from Konoha. She had left without permission, without a word. Digging her face in her palms, she tried not to hyperventilate. A sudden knock on her door made her jump. Gaara? She hurried up and opened it, staring at Shikamaru with frustration. The man seemed somewhat sleepy, but greeted her with a smile.

"Hinata-san, can I speak to you?"

Blinking, she let him in and returned to her bed, sitting on its edge. The shinobi took a chair and sat in front of her, his expression suddenly turning sore.

"What are you doing here, Shikamaru-san?" Her question was hesitant. Was he sent to retrieve her already?

"I am… On a mission." He rubbed his neck and sighed. He needed to come up with a better explanation for always hanging around with Temari.

"Oh."

"Don't worry," he continued, "I am not here to convince you to go back to Konoha. I only wanted to ask you a few things." She seemed worried so he hurried to proceed. "Hinata, what happened back home for you to run away like this? I do not know you well enough, but you do not strike me as someone that would jump in something so irresponsible."

She gulped, sighed and looked down. "Naruto… He… He asked me to marry him."

Swinging on his chair, the Nara almost fell off it but hurried to get back to his position. "He… Proposed?"

The girl looked down. "I… Me and Gaara-sama… He…He saw us."

"Saw you?"

She blushed. "It appears that… He may like me. I don't know, I am really not sure what happened."

Shikamaru watched her as she dug her face in her palms. "Hinata, just tell me what happened."

The Heiress took a deep breath, then look straight at him, gathering all the courage she had. "Gaara kissed me. Naruto saw us and the next think I know, he asked my father for my hand."

The man raised his eyebrow. This had turned out to be more surprising than he had expected. "So Naruto is jealous?"

"I… I don't know."

"Ok, let's put this aside for a moment. There is something more important to discuss right now. Hinata-san, why are you here?"

The Hyuuga stared at him, not sure how to answer. "I… I… I love Gaara."

The Nara raised his eyebrow again. "You love him?"

"Yes."

"Did you not run away from him before you were attacked?"

Hinata pondered on how he had so much information. It must have been Temari. She blushed, remembering how she had stumbled upon the naked Nara.

"I did run away from here last time. But I was frustrated. No one had ever shown interest in me, and Gaara…"

"I get it." The Nara shifted in the chair, trying to change the subject. It appeared she was too uncomfortable. "Look," he continued, "let's forget about this. You will have enough time to be sure how and what you feel. The important thing to look at here is the situation your absence is going to cause. You are the Hyuuga Heiress. You are not allowed to leave Konoha unless on a mission."

"I know…"

"And yet you are here." He gave her a serious look. "You see, if you return now, people may not even notice you've been missing. However, if they find out you are gone, the first place they are going to roam is Suna. If you change your mind, you can simply send a message to your father and tell him you will return shortly. You can even tell him you don't want to marry Naruto…"

"He isn't going to listen."

"Why not?"

"Since I have been born everything has been decided for me. I've rarely had an option to voice my opinion. I know my father and my clan's elders. Naruto is the perfect candidate for a daughter of the main branch. Besides, this will mean that I will lose my place as the heir and they will finally be able to appoint Hanabi as they have always wished to do."

"I see," Shikamaru agreed, tying his fingers in his thinking position. "This will happen because Naruto would not wish to marry into your clan, he is the Hokage after all. And this only leads you to the other option – to leave your place as the Heiress and receive the cursed mark."

"Exactly."

"But will this happen as well if you choose to stay with Gaara?"

Hinata raised her eyes, her cheeks flushed. "I don't think that… That the Kazekage will let this happen…"

"Yeah, you are right. But I am sure that Naruto won't be ok with his either." The current Hokage would never let her clan seal her, Shikamaru was sure about it.

"The difference is that he will have no choice."

The man shifted again, leaning closer to her. He looked down for a moment. "Hinata, you are not doing this because you want to run away from your problems, are you?"

This seemed to insult her. She opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again but did not know what to say. She had never cared for what her family did with her, but to force her to marry someone she wanted to forget forever was the last straw. "Of course not," she managed to explain.

The Shadow user nodded. "Then this will mean a conflict between the two villages."

She looked down. "But this is something personal. If my clan or Naruto would like to do anything, I would be glad to confront them myself."

"But Gaara would do the same."

"I will not let him. It is enough that he is willing to risk that much for me."

"Are you sure that he is the one you want to spend your life with, though? I mean, you know him from just a very little time."

She almost jumped up, giving her interlocutor a serious stare. "Believe it or not, I had spent most of my life chasing after a man that barely knew I existed. And then, for just a few days I… I fell in love with someone so different. I know it is messed up. But I really can not do anything about it."

For her surprise, the Nara laughed. "I am not criticizing you. I just want to be sure that you will not regret your decisions. Although I never imagined that Gaara will be capable of human interaction, I am happy for him. He has made a great choice. He will protect you with everything, Hinata. Just try to make sure you know what you want. There is a time in life when you need to make changes, no matter how much they will hurt."

The girl smiled. She had never expected to have such a conversation with Shikamaru. Sighing, she was grateful that he was here at this moment.

"Let me just clear something for you," he spoke again. "The options here are only two. You can rethink and go back immediately, causing little to no drama. But if you do this, you will most likely need to marry Naruto and give up your freedom, suffering the cursed seal. Or you can stay here and let Suna be your new home. Yet, this will immediately put you under the rank of a rogue kunoichi. You may be hunted, prosecuted and possibly enslaved or even killed for this treachery. However, Gaara will protect you and the chances of this to happen are very slim. This way you will remain free of your clan, and in the same time you will have to cut your relations with everyone in Konoha. Are you ready for this, Hinata?"

She was staring at her feet. "I.."

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

* * *

"Gaara."

Kankuro walked into the Kazekage office, immediately taking the empty seat on front of the desk.

"Is everything alright, brother?"

The man with the purple paint on his face gave the other an odd expression. "You are rushing into something you may regret."

"If I do not act now, I will lose her forever." The red haired man stood up, turned and stared at the city outside his window.

"Temari is furious," he lied. "She thinks you are jumping into decisions that will cause you too much harm."

"I had my mind set back when I first saw her. I do not need further thinking."

"But are you sure she is worth all the troubles this will cause?"

The ex-jinchuuriki turned around, glaring at his brother with his piercing green eyes. "She is the one I want and the one I will have, no matter what it will cost me. I am more than ready to fight for her."

Kankuro gulped. Sometimes he forgot how frightening his little brother could be.

"Fine," he exclaimed. "Shikamaru is with her, you can go see her in her room."

* * *

Gaara did not wait for an answer, he had knocked out of courtesy anyway. Walking in, he eyed the Nara, sitting on a chair right in front of the Hyuuga. The Konohan hurried to get up and with a nod, he left the room.

The Kazekage took a few steps and sat on this same chair, gazing upon those white, with the very little scent of violet, eyes. "Hinata…"

"Let me speak," she interrupted him, redness glowing in her cheeks. "I know that this happening too fast. And I know that I do not deserve your effort and all the trouble this will cause you. I was extremely frustrated, and for the first time in my life someone managed to help me clear my head. I want to stay here Gaara. I want to stay with you and I am ready to accept whatever conditions you will give me…"

The man could not wait for her to finish. He leaned in, burying his fingers in her thick sateen hair. He pulled her and kissed her deeply, taking advantage of her parted lips. He held her in place so she could not break away, but it appeared she was not even fighting. When she finally got back to her senses, she slowly raised her shaking fingers and placed them on his cheek, enjoying the cool sensation of his skin. He was a bit more passionate than she could handle, but she would gladly get used to this. This man was intriguing, astonishing and… sexy.

"I want you, Hinata," he whispered, finally breaking away from her lips, enjoying the way she tried to follow him, wanting more. "And you will be mine. I will fight for you and protect you, I will hide you and I will never let anything happen to you again. No matter if I have to kill the Hokage, your clan or anyone else."

"G-Gaara…"

"Yet, I will let you choose now. Do you wish to go back home, or will you stay with me? I am giving you this choice now, but I will not let you have it again. If you stay here now, I would rather die than let you go."

Blushing deeply, the Heiress cupped his face with her palms and kissed him lightly. She was still new at this, but enjoyed it to the fullest. He did not need a better answer.

* * *

**_Note:_**

_Thank you all for the great patience you've had with me for writing this new chapter. I know it took me some time, but I was really at a dead end. _

_I did not enjoy this chapter too much, although the ending was particularly nice to write. I love when Gaara is a bit of a psycho, getting what he wants with no hesitation._

_Anyway, this chapter was just the beginning of the real drama, so expect more interesting and nice GaaraHina moments soon. _

_Again, sorry for the long wayt, but I was a bit engulfed by the other fanfic I am writing, a SasuHina one. Feel free to check it if you wish. Also, please let me know what you want to see in the next chapter, I find it quite interesting to know how you want this to go._


	22. Chapter 22 - Finally With You

"You did what?"

Sakura watched as everyone in the hospital lobby turned to face her, startled by the volume of her voice. She looked at the man before her and took him by the sleeve, dragging him in her office.

"Is it that bad?" Uzumaki Naruto walked to the chair in front of the desk and waited for the kunoichi to take her place as well.

"Naruto, you can not speak to a girl's father about marriage if you have not asked her first."

The Hokage looked down, still a bit frustrated. "But… I don't understand. She wouldn't mind marrying me anyway."

"How are you so certain?" The woman watched him try to speak, but interrupted. "Naruto, you can't possibly be referring to what she told you back when you fought Pain. This was more than four years ago. Have you even spoken to her after that?"

"Of course, Sakura-chan!" the man rubbed the back of his head and tried to smile.

"About that she told you she loved you?" He did not answer and she sighed. "You can not be sure that she still has the same feelings for you. Especially after you have pretty much ignored her by now."

"But," he protested, "I'm sure she has them! I know I am a jerk for not confronting her about it, but you know about all that happened. At the time I could not allow myself to be distracted by anything personal. Too much was at stake."

"This is true. But still, you had to speak to her personally first. I know that you are impulsive, but didn't think you'd jump into this like that."

The Uzumaki looked away, gritting his teeth. If it wasn't for Gaara, he could have done things much differently. It seemed that the pink-haired woman picked up his thoughts as she tried to catch his blue eyes.

"Please don't tell me you did this out of jealousy."

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Come on, Naruto, I know you too well. Look, every girl in Konoha, as well as many in the other shinobi villages dream of being with you. And from all, you decided to do such a thing for the Hyuuga heiress? Do you not realize how many complications your actions will cause?"

Clenching his fists, he stood up, anger overwhelming him. He should have thought through this better. But he could not risk losing her, not to someone like Gaara. All of a sudden, the Haruno stood up too, crashing her palms on the desk.

"Naruto, are you doing this out of rivalry with Gaara?"

"What?"

"You've never shown much interest for Hinata. And when the Kazekage turns his attention towards her, you freak out and start being too reckless."

"That's not…"

"If this was Kiba, Shino or anyone else, you would not have cared. Naruto, I know that people constantly compare you with him and that this drives you crazy. But ruining Hinata's life for this is unacceptable."

"I will not ruin her life!"

"Well you are damn well trying to."

"I need to speak to her."

"Hurry up before this gets any worse."

* * *

Naruto headed straight to the Hyuuga mansion. His Shadow Clones were unable to locate her in the city, so she must have gotten back to her home. The guards let him in immediately and he was led to the main court.

Hyuuga Hiashi greeted him. "Is something wrong, Naruto-sama?"

"Hiashi-sama, I need to speak to Hinata."

"She is not here, I thought she was with you."

The blond clenched his wrists. Where could she be?

"I wanted to speak to you as well. It might be best if we don't rush this yet."

"Having doubts about marrying my daughter?" The Hyuuga clan leader appeared somewhat angry.

"No, not at all!" This was going from bad to worse. "I just want to be sure what will happen to Hinata before we proceed…"

"Our elders approved the marriage. It has already been decided that Hinata will be placed under our clan's seal and that Hanabi will take her place as my heir."

Blue eyes widened, staring in shock. He had caused something awful. Without saying anything further, the Jinchuuriki stormed off, slamming the door behind him. He had to do something. Running ahead, he let a dozen of clones roam the village, hidden in the Leaf.

"Naruto-sama."

The heels dug in the ground immediately. He turned around, facing Neji who had appeared to have followed him after his meeting with his uncle. The young Hyuuga looked awful, even after all the healing he had gone through.

"Neji? What…"

"Is it true? That you will be marrying Hinata-sama?"

"I…"

"If you do this, you will ruin her."

Naruto parted his lips. "I can't find her. I need to speak to her and… fix things. Can you locate her with your Byakugan?"

The other peered at the Hokage with his white eyes, but in the end activated his kekkei genkai and looked around. He shifted his sight left and right. He then turned his back to the Hokage and stared at the Hyuuga mansion and searched it. There was no trace of her.

"I can't find her."

"What? How come?"

"I'll tell you how," a familiar voice called behind them and the two men turned to stare at Hanabi. The young girl had her hands tied on her chest and had a serious look.

"Hanabi-chan, where…"

"She took off with the Kazekage."

The Uzumaki stared at her, his jaw stiff. He shifted his eyes between her and the Hyuuga man, who appeared as surprised as himself. "What?"

"You heard me," she continued, staring straight into his blue eyes. "That man took her…"

Before she could finish, the Hokage was long gone. He crashed into his office, running into Sasuke who appeared to have been waiting for him in there.

"Sasuke, we are leaving for Suna."

The Uchiha stared at him, his onyx eyes turning red. "That's fine by me."

* * *

"Do you like this room? I can find you a better one."

"This one is perfect. " Hinata stared at the man, who had turned his back to her and was looking at the city outside. He was tall, taller than Naruto and had a lean but well-built figure. He surely had to train a lot to me able to carry this giant sand gourd on his back so feely.

"Are you sure?" He turned to face her but she was deep in thoughts and had already forgotten what they were talking about. "The view from this one is not too good."

_Ah, the room._ "It is fine, do not worry."

He took a few steps and stopped when he was right in front of her. The Kazekage motioned for her to stand up and gave her his hand. Blushing, the Heiress took it. He then cupped her face with his other hand and looked at her white eyes, mesmerized by her beauty. Her cheeks were slowly turning redder and in the end he feared something might happen to her health. He let her go and took a step back. The man was still afraid not to rush things with her, he did not want to make her feel uncomfortable.

She gave him a questioning look. "Is… everything ok?"

He felt a smile trying to curl his lips. "Why would it not be?"

Her face burning, she looked away. "Gaara-sama," she took a moment to taste the sound of his name. "I… I do not wish to make you feel uncomfortable."

The man couldn't help it and smiled. "But how could you possibly do this?"

"Well…"

Taking a step forward, he closed the distance between them again. "I am simply trying to behave a bit more around you. I tend not to know how to interact with people."

Astonished by his gorgeous smile, she smiled as well and slowly raised her hand, touching his cheek. Despite living in the desert, the man's skin was somewhat cool. His bright green eyes were enhanced by the black tanuki-like rings that surrounded them. Hinata remembered her younger years when this had actually frightened her to death. And yet, now his appearance only dazzled her. Even the kanji symbol on his forehead was astonishing.

"You don't need to worry when you are around me." The Hyuuga smiled at him even more and watched as a calm expression filled his handsome features. "I simply need some time to get used to things. I will stop blushing and freaking out soon."

"But I really enjoy it when you blush," the man answered, his voice only a murmur. Taking her waist, he slowly pulled to her, letting her head rest on his chest. Her warmth overwhelmed him, her scent was amazing. He stroked her sateen hair, enjoying every touch. She was so little in his hands, so soft… The Kazekage pondered on her beauty, wondering if she could possibly be more astonishing. He realized he couldn't wait to take her and looked away.

"Does this gourd not hurt your back?"

Happy that she tore him out of his thoughts, he looked at her. "Not really."

"But…" The girl then backed away from him slightly and placed her palm on his chest. To his surprise, she activated her Byakugan and stared at him. "I can see a point in your chakra flow that appears to seriously be disrupted. Is this due to an injury?"

He dug into his thoughts, trying to remember. "I am not very certain."

"You should let me take a look at it. Chakra disruption is my clan's specialty after all. Besides, I found a very interesting healing technique in the scrolls you gave me…"

Before she could proceed, Gaara leaned and kissed her. For a moment she didn't react, but soon let him take over her mind and pressed to him, feeling his strength. She would have never thought that kisses were so amazing. The man pulled away from her eventually, staring at her eyes, her kekkei genkai still active. She was gorgeous beyond imagine.

"I will let you do whatever you want to me. But first we need to think of a way to hide you. Naruto is coming for you."

* * *

**_Note:_**

_Thank you all for the lovely reviews. I will try updating this story as much as I can, as I have great plans for how things between Hinata and Gaara will develop. Also, I was not sure whether I wanted this story to turn into a NaruHina or a GaaraHina at first, but it appears that most, if not all of you, prefer the lather couple. So I am putting the tags back to GaaraHina as I've already made up my mind that this will be the couple I will ship here :) _

_Let me know what you think._


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